Sunshine
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: An up and coming hit man still in mafia training, and a lonely girl with an incredible destiny ahead of her. By all rights they should never have even met, much less become close friends. But thanks to a childish pen pal program, that's exactly what happens. Now Iris is about to be thrown in headfirst into the cutthroat underworld of the mafia. Can she survive it and her destiny?
1. Chapter 1

**Before any of you ask, Yes, I have gotten hooked on Reborn! to the point I've almost finished the manga. Expect a mass explosion of Reborn! crossovers in the near future.**

 **Oh, and if any of you have problems with death and the casual disregard for life (specifically Umbridge) I would advised avoiding the bottom half of the chapter when the Toad goes too far and ends up dead. When this gets posted as a full story, it will be rated M for exactly that reason.**

* * *

It all started as a silly class project. One that most children would do to humor their parents and the teachers, but forget about when it was over.

It was a pen pal program, and this year it was set to Italy.

Naturally the school they picked at random had English speaking students (multiple languages was a requirement), so the language barriers should be at a minimum.

Most of the children wrote the bare minimum required to get a passing grade, even if it was mostly an exercise to improve their English skills.

By the end of the year, only one student kept writing to their new friend. One lonely girl named Iris Potter.

The teacher felt sorry enough for the girl to help her buy the stamps required to continue sending letters to the child that had been selected as her pen pal for the project.

The girl had zero friends, though not through any fault of her own. Her cousin made a point to ensure that anyone who tried to be friends with her regretted it in short order, and nothing the parents of said children did had any effect.

So in exchange for a few small 'chores', so the girl didn't think of it as charity, the teachers would help pay for the stamps and act as the go-between so she could continue writing the boy in Italy.

After a few months of this, she started to try and learn Italian, so they could communicate in his language.

It took little effort to find someone fluent and have them temporarily transfer in long enough to teach her, all under the guise of detentions. After all, it was rare for the girl to express an interest in something _she_ wanted. And Dudley hated learning anything to the point he wouldn't try to ruin this for her as well.

They openly suspected her family's influence in that.

The subterfuge lasted until Iris was eleven, by which point she found a new method to deliver her letters.

They wished her the best of luck, and soon forgot about the matter.

* * *

Renato almost shot the rather beautiful owl who wouldn't take the hint during his lunch break. Then he spotted the letter in it's claws, and curiosity took over. He checked for poisons...before he recognized the handwriting.

Iris was an odd girl who seemed thrilled to have someone to talk to. The impression he got from her by-now frequent letters...she always waited until she got a reply before sending another, and didn't seem to mind the weeks it took for him to write her back... was that her aunt's family didn't exactly like her, much less want her, but had no other choice but to take her in.

He openly doubted familial obligation was the reason.

Her cousin had quit writing months ago to his 'pen pal', and from the complaints he heard, the boy's handwriting was absolutely atrocious and almost illegible...to say nothing of the kid's personality.

But she had kept up the correspondence, to the point she was learning Italian purely so she could write to him in his own language. Sure some of her words were a bit off, but considering she was learning how to speak a new language with limited help from a dictionary it was still pretty impressive.

Renato honestly didn't know how to react to the fact that a girl who was either his age or within a few years of it going so far as to learn a new language just to make it easier to talk to _him_ without worry of a language barrier. Never mind he could already read and speak English fluently.

It felt...nice.

Reading the new letter, he eyed the owl...Hedwig...with new appreciation. Paying to send international letters could get expensive fast, and with the fact she was going to a boarding school in September (the man sent to deliver the letter had told her they didn't have a post office, but relied on carrier owls to deliver letters) meant that the only way to talk to Iris was through Hedwig.

Renato took out a pen and paper, and wrote a letter back. The owl was very patient, waiting for him to put it in the envelope before taking off with a hoot. But not before stealing all the bacon on the table while everyone was busy trying not to find out why Renato had gotten a letter delivered by owl of all things.

Smart bird.

He quickly found their letters increasing in frequency... Hedwig soon became a common sight in Assassin school to the point where most barely registered her presence, and she never bothered him while on field assignments... and he could honestly say he was happy for Iris.

She had seemed lonely before. He would have wondered if she would soon forget about him, but apparently loyalty was something she favored to the point she refused to give up her letters to him.

That, and she honestly didn't have anyone else to write to. Hedwig certainly didn't seem to mind the exercise.

For a few years, it seemed things were finally looking up for her. At least until shortly after his graduation from school.

About two years ago Hedwig had delivered an odd book to him, which he quickly found out delivered messages back and forth like some sort of online message board without the internet, and her appearances tapered off to nothing without much warning. The few times she did appear, she looked haggard and almost like someone had taken a shot at her.

And that made him angry. Enough he didn't complain when Iris begged him to let the owl stay with him, as a teacher had damn near tried to _kill_ the owl while delivering a letter to her. Apparently the Toad didn't want her activities getting out, and as her most vocal opponent, Iris' owl made a prime target.

Fortunately Hedwig and Leon got along swimmingly, even if his only means to talk to Iris was through the book. A book which soon had to be replaced with a second one by the time Iris turned fifteen. It saved conversations, and it helped to calm him down on bad missions.

It was during Christmas (when he had another owl he found to deliver her present, since he was very fond of her at this point) that he got a message that rang several kinds of alarms in his head.

 _Ren...which would be the most effective way to murder someone using a butter knife? Heart, spine or eyeball? Because I honestly can't make up my mind on how quickly to brutally murder that damn Toad._

He took a pen (he found the book responded better to ink for some reason) and wrote back...

 **Why ask me?**

 _You work for the mafia right? And I remember you complaining about anatomy classes for ages. I figured if anyone would give me a straight answer without keeping an eye on me around the cutlery it would be you. If Hermione knew, she'd never leave me alone._

He would honestly say he damn near had a heart attack.

 **Who said I'm in the mafia? As for your question, the heart and spine are too difficult for how dull the average butter knife is. Your friends might come out of shock enough to try and stop you, to say nothing of the teachers. However if you angle the knife just right and use enough force, the eye is doable. It leads straight to the brain, so it would take the woman several seconds to realize she's dead.**

He did not want to be accused of breaking Omerta. Never mind what the families would do to _him_ , Iris would almost certainly get into trouble because that's what always happened.

He could almost feel the amused sarcasm in her voice...even if he had never heard it before.

 _Honestly Ren, do you take me for an idiot? Besides, you should have seen the looks I got from the local underground when they found out I was asking for someone with your name and nationality. Something about how there were cheaper options if I wanted to go local._

 **...How the hell did you find the local underworld?**

 _Third year, I was alone without proper "adult supervision", remember? Like I wouldn't abuse the cloak and my natural sneaking skills to go into London for some proper shopping. Found a middleman by accident by listening, figured it would be interesting to see if I could track you down that way. You have no idea how hard it was not to actually pay someone to 'deal' with my aunt Marge after what she said about my parents._

 **Was this before or after you gave me the first book?**

 _I had a sneaking suspicion with how cagey you were by second year, finding out changed nothing. Your secrets are not mine to share, and frankly I could care less if you_ do _kill for money. You're still Ren to me._

Finding out his civilian friend had found out by accident he was a mafia-contracted hitman and had known for years without breaking contact with him...it threw him for a loop. Most of his 'colleagues' were lucky to find a wife or husband that understanding. The general reaction to finding out the truth was either an attempt to get their spouse or lover to give up that life, a dead body, or there being a rather unhappy visit for breaking Omerta which would end up with two dead bodies.

To have someone who _knew_ the truth and was so accepting. It was something you only heard of in stories from those who were still hopeful that there was a Sky out there waiting for them.

They either burned out early, realized the painful truth and turned cynical, or were killed off.

Ren sometimes fantasized meeting Iris and finding out she was a Sky. That they would end up Harmonizing and he could quit being a hitman. Which was a joke.

He was one of the strongest Suns around...Skies had tried to Harmonize with him for years now since he graduated, and nothing had clicked, so he drifted from place to place.

The odds of him finding a Sky, much less being his best friend in England... life didn't work like that.

 _Thanks for giving me an honest answer Ren. I'm so tired of this. I'm sick of Hogwarts and I'm sick of the stupidity of the people around me._

 **When it gets too much, give me a time and place, and even if it means having to finish a hit early I will come find you.**

Because Iris was worth it. Of that he had no doubt.

 _You have a deal. I have to turn in... Mrs. Weasley is heading in this direction and she might read this. Night Ren._

 **Night, Iris.**

* * *

Dumbledore was chased out of the castle. Umbridge's reign of terror had only grown _worse_. Malfoy looked like a damn peacock, preening about how much 'power' he supposedly had.

So when the "Headmistress" went to steal the book Iris was always writing in, and never seen without, her self restraint for violence snaps.

Like a twig carelessly stepped on by someone Hagrid's size. Or maybe Dudley.

Iris stood, her hand firmly closed around the butter knife she had jokingly asked Ren how to kill with.

Because honestly, without Dumbledore there to give her that disapproving look or make it feel like things _might_ become better, she finds herself strangely calm and unable to give a damn about the crime she is almost certain to commit in the next few minutes.

Besides, that bastard had been avoiding her all damn year, and his platitudes had been wearing thin long before she saw what his idea of safety really entailed.

Forcing Sirius to stay in a house where his worst memories were held, that he had fled from at the age of sixteen when it got to be too much...

Azkaban was hell on earth, but forcing him to live in Grimmauld place because of that damn Peter rather than send him abroad where he might heal...that was cruel and unusual torture.

It would be like making her still live with the Dursleys after this damn war was over, even though he OPENLY admitted to knowing that they didn't treat her like family SHOULD.

No. Just no.

"Give. That. Back."

Her voice was deadly calm, her gaze devoid of any emotion. It was a terrifying combination, and one Hermione should have known was a Bad Sign.

"Tut, tut. I think I'll be confiscating your book. Can't have you spreading lies," said Umbridge patronizingly.

"I'm giving you one last warning, Toad. Give me the book back or else."

That tone in her voice should have sent alarm bells in the minds of everyone around her, but she could tell without looking that every student and teacher in the hall had become so indoctrinated against _real_ violence to the point they wouldn't know how to react if they saw it happening in front of them.

In other words, herbivores who had long forgotten what a true carnivore was.

Umbridge's expression said everything. She had no intention of handing it over, and would likely read from it at the first opportunity. Well, time to dissuade her and the rest of the sheep that she was not a nice person.

Somewhere in her genetics ran the same blood as Bellatrix fucking Lestrange, except she wasn't limited to magical methods of killing.

It was purely instinct and the knowledge Ren had jokingly shared with her on the best place to shove a simple butter knife to the point it became a lethal weapon that had her twirl the blade into a proper grip and then surge forward with just the right amount of force to lodge the knife in the Toad's eye.

Umbridge barely registered that she was about to be attacked before she felt pain, and then her body took notice that the activity from the brain had ceased entirely before she keeled over.

Dead silence. No one believed that they had just seen that, not even the teachers or the Slytherins.

Iris caught her book before it fell, and put it firmly in her bag. She didn't trust that damn Toad not to snoop in her trunk (and to be honest her trust in the security of the tower had shattered when Ginny broke into her trunk second year) and had taken to carrying everything she would genuinely miss in a bag she kept with her at all times. She looked around the hall, and realized that not a single one reacted like they should have when this confrontation began.

Not _one_ of them had stood up to defend her personal property, and EVERYONE knew how important that book was to her.

Well, if they weren't going to defend her in a minor matter like this, then there was zero reason to believe they'd do the same in a real life or death situation.

Iris took out her wand, and suddenly there was a mass flinching. Several of the teachers snapped out of it long enough to get off their ass, and she Sneered at them all in a way that Snape would have felt an odd sense of pride...if he weren't still in absolute shock.

As a Death Eater, he knew when someone had been pushed too far, and after murdering the Toad in cold blood, it was pretty damn obvious to anyone with a brain that Iris had been pushed well past that ledge.

He was not getting in her line of fire, thank you very much.

He almost wanted to be the one who told the mutt, or better yet the Headmaster exactly how badly they screwed up.

Well adjusted teenagers did not take butter knives and calmly shove them into someone's left eye hard enough to reach the brain and kill someone and not react immediately after... like throwing up for instance or sobbing hysterically.

Better the Toad than him though. Then again he had enough common sense not to push a volatile witch who shared the same ancestry as Bellatrix to that point in the first place. She might dislike him, but she didn't hate him to the point she would kill him without hesitation.

To the shock of everyone save Snape, Potter took her wand...and snapped it into as many pieces as physically possible before spitting on the remains. The message was pretty damn clear.

She was washing their hands of them.

No one stopped her from leaving the Great Hall, let alone the borders of the wards.

By the time the children and staff processed what had just happened, she was long gone and not likely to return of her own volition.

Snape managed to make it to Grimmauld place before any of the others had the forethought to tell Sirius what happened.

He just wanted to see the mutt's reaction first. And if he were really, really lucky he'd see Dumbledore's as well.

* * *

Renato was finishing a rather unpleasant hit when he felt the book "buzz", almost like a phone on vibrate.

What he found had his heart break for the loss of his friend's remaining innocence.

She shouldn't have had to feel so alone and isolated to the point she felt she had no other choice to make the Toad back off.

 _You were right. Eyeball was the way to go._

 **Where?**

 _Heading to London to settle a few things. Lock down my accounts. From there, who knows? I'm never returning to that school again though. The woman tried to steal the book and not a single one of my_ friends _stood up to stop her, even when I was obviously furious beyond the point of caring if I killed the bitch. And none of them were in any state to stop me from walking out the door and leaving._

 **How many?**

He dreads the answer. Bad enough his friend had felt the need to bloody her hands roughly the same age he had. She never should have been put in this situation.

Renato openly curses the complacency and foolishness of Albus Dumbledore, for putting her into this situation.

 _I really hate herbivores. They were in such shock that I am in fact a carnivore instead of a sheep that they were unable to respond to the presence of being around an actual wolf._

He should feel relief, but he knows better. Everyone had a reaction to their first kill, though from what he was getting from her, she was still firmly in survival mode and would only snap out of it once she realized the reality of what she had done.

Which meant she would crash and crash _hard_. He would have to bribe that idiot Shamal to be on standby, just in case.

God knows when it happened to him, the results hadn't been pretty. It was actually a test at the school, to see how well you coped with your first kill. Some were given mercy killings, but that was thankfully rare. Most of those who couldn't take it washed out or went into the clergy.

He didn't hear from her for four days, but he knew she would need someone she trusted to be there. Shamal would arrive within the week, and he was openly interested in meeting his civilian friend. Especially since it was a girl.

Finally, he got a random address somewhere in the slums near were several contacts to the mafia could be found, and looked around. It wasn't until he found a girl huddling in a relatively clean (clean in that there weren't any rats or debris around her) with a cloak wearing an odd gold ring with a chameleon with red eyes that looked almost identical to Leon, his pet.

She lifted her head long enough to look him in the eyes, and he knew.

It was Iris.

She was too frail, and her bones were as light as a bird. She was far too skinny for her age, and he made a note to fatten her up _properly_ (he'd heard more than a few complaints about Molly Weasley's overbearing attitude after second year) before they could even consider getting her back to normal.

How Iris knew it was him enough to cling to him like she had, he had no idea.

Though perhaps bringing Leon helped.


	2. Chapter 2

It was warm in a way that she always wished it could be, and safe in a way she could never describe. There are arms around her holding her firmly, and when she sees the orange band and the stare of a chameleon on the chair told her everything she needed to know.

Ren had kept his promise.

It was a sad testament to her life that the very fact he had followed through on something as simple as coming to England to get her despite having very little idea of what she looked like made her want to cry in tears of joy.

Instead she does something that would have shocked her dorm mates. She curled closer, to the point where she could literally hear his heartbeat, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, falls asleep at once.

Renato Sinclair is _not_ asleep when Iris briefly wakes up. A single brief photo she managed to share with him (courtesy of her stalker Colin) did not do his best friend justice.

So when her reaction once assessing who was holding her was to cuddle closer with him, he wanted to cry in relief.

He knew damn well she had trust issues. Something would have to be seriously wrong with her if she didn't have _that_ much after all the crap she had gone through in her life. But the fact she trusts him enough to sleep without a proper face to face introduction speaks volumes of her trust in him.

That and the fact she only had to briefly see Leon staring at her before she confirms his identity enough to sleep so peacefully...

There was no way in _hell_ he was letting her stay in England.

This country had done enough damage to her as it was.

It takes two days before she is over the worst of her crash, and once that was over with the two have a briefly awkward moment.

This is the first time they had met face-to-face. Fortunately, Hedwig is an excellent ice breaker and they chat as if they had done it forever.

By the third day of Renato finding Iris huddling in a dingy building, Shamal arrives.

He learns three things.

One, Iris is a Sky and almost immediately Harmonized with Renato the second he found her. Then again it had been a long time coming so he wasn't entirely surprised to see the Guardian bond fully formed and stronger than he had ever seen. That she starts to draw him in without knowing what she is, or even having Active flames (though with Renato that could easily change) means that they could at least be friends.

Lucky bastard.

Two, she is severely malnourished and barely making strides to correct it. Renato takes the list of foods she should focus on so that she can get into a proper weight class before she can train seriously (if she wanted to) like a sacred document. She is also lacking in basic immunizations and in desperate need of corrective lenses or surgery.

Three, the girl is tough. Tougher than he had originally thought, despite the rare occasion Renato felt in the sharing mood. He had thought her a friendly, if somewhat lonely teenager with a desperate need to talk to someone who wouldn't judge her for something she had no control over. Like a mafia-brat stuck being trained to take their parent's spot before they were even remotely ready.

If Renato didn't move her to Italy, he'd start batting for the same team.

Still, she seemed to recover better than most civilians did after their first kill. She didn't like it, but she accepted what she had done and moved on.

It probably didn't hurt that the bitch had clearly been asking for it, forcing her to carve "I Must Not Tell Lies" in her dominate hand with a quill.

* * *

Renato had accumulated quite a bit of money and favors before Iris snapped. Enough that acquiring a passport took a matter of days.

Her eyes were wide and child-like as she examined everything with voracious interest, eagerly chatting with her friend in Italian. Her skills had grown rusty, but after a while he only had to make minor corrections before they were both having fun.

This was how she should have been from the start, not lost and alone to the point where she had latched onto the first person to show the first true scrap of affection.

Renato quickly realized he had developed a genuine hatred of the English magical community, and a good portion of Surrey.

Seeing her relax the second they were well and truly away from her home country, something inside him settles down as well.

Especially when she is given free reign of his apartment, despite the fact he _technically_ abducted a minor from another country illegally. She is only fifteen, and the "good" mafia families have rules about exploiting anyone under sixteen at the very earliest.

Considering her only real family is currently on the run and was considered a mass murderer, it was unlikely anyone would raise a fuss.

The one time Shamal made the mistake of broaching the subject (to help Renato come up with counter arguments just in case) the look in her eyes had sent shivers down his spine.

She has already been forced to kill once to rid herself of a threat. And now that she has blood on her hands he had zero doubts on her ability to kill again if her stability is threatened.

Iris is not a well adjusted teenager. She's the farthest thing from it.

So the idea of killing to keep misinformed idiots trying to bring her back to her own country was so likely it wasn't even funny.

After Shamal confirmed a Guardian Bond between them, the likelihood of such a thing drops into nonexistence. Skies and their Guardians stuck together, that was practically the _law._ And everyone knew Renato, despite being an unusually powerful Sun, had never Harmonized with a Sky despite several candidates, including the famous Vongola. One look at how damaged Iris was, and they wouldn't question why Renato had removed her from England.

Skies were to be cherished, protected, occasionally courted if they weren't already affiliated with a Family.

The idea of abusing a precious Sky to the point they snapped like she had was so abhorrent that it _never_ happened.

And yes, he is openly as territorial as a damn Cloud around his Sky. Shamal was one thing...the man knew his boundaries and pissing off Renato over a girl who was clearly hurting was one thing he wouldn't dare do...but then word gets out _he_ has an unknown female Sky.

Within less than a week of the news, Renato starts spotting stalkers from various families trying to court Iris into joining them.

She notices them as quickly as he does, but is blissfully aware of the significance of why they were interested in her.

When idiots start trying to force a Guardian bond, his patience snaps. Iris soon becomes the proud owner of a gun, and he doesn't know whether to feel relieved or unhappy finding out she's a natural when it comes to shooting it once she got over the shock of the recoil.

She is like a dry sponge suddenly dropped into an ocean, and Renato is the one holding her above the water.

Iris meets the most fascinating woman while out getting groceries. Ren is beyond relieved she is a fast learner, and that includes Italian dishes. Though she is a firm believer that tea is superior to coffee.

Shamal makes a point to visit whenever possible, both to check up on Iris and because his Sky absolutely loathes hospitals to the point she joins in on learning first aid to avoid them.

Considering how often she was in the hospital wing in that school, Ren understands completely.

* * *

"So you're young Renato's Sky."

Iris smiles politely, giving away nothing.

"Such tired eyes. Tell me child, who was it that was foolish enough to hurt you?" she asks gently, taking her scarred hand.

"Dead."

Somehow, her response makes the woman look at her closely before her eyes soften.

"No wonder Renato is so protective."

Iris wants to trust this woman, she honest does. But she has been burned one too many times by those older than her. Never mind the complacency of her 'friends'.

She paid for a cheap barn owl to deliver the remains of Errol to the twins, with the notice that she wants nothing to do with Hogwarts or England ever again.

Port keys and any attempts to bring her home would be met with lethal response, especially if they were successful.

They sent a familiar looking book, and never sent another letter again. At least the twins didn't.

They were among the few who hadn't been entirely that shocked to see her kill Umbridge. The Toad _loved_ to push her buttons, and it had been a long time coming.

"Tell me little one, do you like tea?" asked the woman hopefully.

Iris beamed.

"Renato is a barbarian who insists that awful muck called coffee is a superior drink. I find it relaxing to spike it with hot sauce in the morning when he's not awake enough to realize it."

Seeing her companion's hand fly up to hide her evil smile, she knew she would be an...interesting...friend.

 _Later..._

Renato, when he heard a basic description of the woman made a pained noise.

"Only you would go out for groceries and end up getting an invitation for tea from the former Donna Vongola," he said, trying desperately not to laugh or cry.

"She said you and Shamal were welcome too," she added cheerfully.

"Of course we are, we're your Guardians."

The idea of inviting an unattached Sky without her Guardians to protect her was so stupid it bordered on the ridiculous. Besides, he was a known rogue who refused to attach to a family without a Sky first.

Both he and Shamal liked their freedom.

* * *

Donna Vongola adored Iris. The girl was a positive gem, even though she had some justified trust issues towards those much older than she was with "well meaning intentions".

She also had impeccable taste in tea (much to the dismay of Renato, who preferred coffee) and a delightful accent while speaking Italian.

She was also quite clearly in love with Renato, despite the fact he was her Sun Guardian. It was adorable.

As an older woman with two sons, she honestly couldn't wait to watch this play out.

Aside from some minor interrogation...Iris got the feeling the Dursleys were going to be in for it, but could honestly not care less...she got along with the only female Boss of the Vongola family. And while she really didn't want to be tied down to one Family (much like Renato and Shamal, she liked her freedom), she did agree to meet some of the more... troubled youths...of the Family with active flames.

Iris had the sneaking suspicion she would attract the ones just a hair's breath from being "broken" in a sense. Those who didn't really tend to follow the rules of society, and only needed one person to genuinely understand them to prove their unwavering loyalty.

When she voiced that much to her two Guardians, Renato had made a pained sound. But he openly agreed that with her open personality and history it was more than likely she'd attract the ones that were a bit more high maintenance. Which could be major trouble considering the personality of Clouds and Mists.

On the plus side, it cut down on the number of stalkers she had on her daily routine. Renato helped her get into a proper high school, one with no active Flames (he had made very sure of that).

Sure, she now had to go over some dossiers to see if she could find some people to fill the other "slots" of her Guardians, but that was a small price to pay to get rid of the more thick-headed idiots.

* * *

"Wait, so Leon 'ate' a bullet and now it shoots out Flames?" she said incredulous.

Renato nodded.

"I was surprised too. Any luck on the files Donna Vongola sent over?"

"There is one potential Cloud, but I wanted your opinion too."

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to be a Sky with multiple Guardians?" asked Renato.

"Because the mafia attracts troubled youths like ticks to a dog?"

"Speaking of dogs..." said Shamal, looking at the hound on the couch snoring up a storm.

Iris whistled innocently.

"Suddenly I'm having the foreboding feeling of my apartment becoming an animal sanctuary."

"Animals are more honest than people."

The pit bull was too skinny, and had a spiked collar. She also had patches of scarring that made it pretty obvious what happened to it.

And yet when Iris found the poor thing on the street, it had been a total sweetheart. Renato had not be convinced and nearly shot the source of the snoring when he came in.

"Look at the bright side. You can get her to take classes and train guard dogs to protect her."

"I will state flat out now, no cats. I'm allergic," said Shamal.

"Fair enough. I like dogs better anyway, though I can't stand rats."

Renato sighed.

"I'll look into a house."

"Actually there might be houses that belong to my dad's family somewhere around Italy we can use. And if not, well I do have a massive vault full of gold I don't mind using."

Shamal suddenly snickered. Renato gave him an annoyed look.

"It's just... You're going to be the Guardian of a Sky that takes in strays. Can you imagine how the others will react?"

He groaned, putting his head in his hands.

He never would have considered it, being something of a private person. But this was Iris. It was like kicking a puppy, literally in fact. Iris trusted him completely.

She was the source of calm in his chaotic world, and he loved her for it.

The dog woke up, rolled over onto it's stomach, and took one look at Renato.

Okay, he could see why his Sky had fallen in love with the thing. It had this look that said "Yeah, I got my ass kicked by life. So what?" on it's face. It took the punches and didn't let it keep it down, despite being used as breeding material and as a bait dog.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's her name?"

"Claire."

Renato looked at the snickering Shamal, and Glared.

The dog woofed, and walked right up to him with this big soulful gaze.

Dammit.

Renato bent down to pet it, and got a face full of dog slobber. Iris couldn't help it, she broke out laughing. He could almost forgive the mutt. Almost.

He found a toy next to him and tossed it hard into the bedroom. The pit bull was on it in a flash, wagging it's tail like mad while he grumbled, wiping his face off.

Claire was a good dog, even he could admit that. It took little time to integrate her into their oddball family. She also made one _hell_ of a warning system. The one time an assassin broke into his apartment, thus pissing him off to no end, the dog woke the entire damn complex up with it's barking.

Ren killed the idiot (after finding out who he was after) but once the excitement was over Claire walked up to him with this big goofy grin on her face, tail wagging like mad.

He gave her some of the spare meat Iris had specially set aside for treats. De-boned chicken, left over cooked hamburger and the occasional tidbits of steak. He was all for encouraging her guard dog behavior.

* * *

Everyone in the Order was up in arms after the events of last year. Iris Potter had openly murdered someone, then walked off without a clue as to where she was.

Sirius, once he got over the shock and denial when Snape told him _exactly_ what happened, did something no one would expect.

Rather than look for his goddaughter, he opted to use this as an excuse to get out of the country himself.

Not a single person stood to defend Iris from that damn woman, and it took them almost half an hour to get over what she had done after being pushed too far. In fact Dumbledore was quick to condemn her actions and wanted her found to have her see "the error of her ways" and to prevent a repeat.

Sirius didn't need to be a bloody Ravenclaw to see between the lines of that speech. Because she killed someone in cold blood and without the slightest hint of remorse, the headmaster clearly saw his pup as no better than the Death Eaters. Never mind that the Toad had been openly torturing her for months without any aid from the teachers who should have been protecting her, or at the very least cracking down on the crap coming from the Slytherins.

But no, they were happy to turn a blind eye, and now his pup had blood on her hands from their stupidity.

Well now his eyes were open, and if he was Iris he wouldn't want anything to do with England for a very long time, if ever.

And to be perfectly honest, his home country was looking very unappealing. So what if everyone thought he was a mass murderer? He knew of one place where people like that were more than welcome to a point.

With that thought in mind, Sirius Black was heading to Italy. He had some contacts with the Vongola family...even if Coyote could be a complete and total bastard.

Maybe if he heard anything about his pup, he'd reach out, until then he'd give her the space she clearly needed. If she was anything like him, or hell like Lily, she'd need someone who wouldn't judge her.

He'd bet his entire family fortune on her reaching out to her best friend Ren for help. He had no idea who this guy was, but he always listened and gave her advice. For that he had Sirius' gratitude.


	3. Chapter 3

"Happy birthday, Iris!" said Renato cheerfully.

Seeing her owl-eyed look told him that hiding this had been entirely worth it. And this time he didn't need to use an owl to deliver her present.

There were a few of Ren's friends, and several of the prospects she thought might have the potential to bond with her as Guardians (all from rough backgrounds) who were there to make an impression.

She had already picked up a little kid with Sun flames and a penchant for thievery. He had followed her home and bonded with her when she fed him. Ren had been threatened for all of five minutes, before he realized Iris had a different system for Harmonizing with others.

Ren was her primary Sun Guardian and the one to most likely act in her name. But the kid was more interested in a family than being a Guardian.

Which meant his position was unchallenged.

"This is from the Donna," said Ren, handing her a box. Inside was yet another round of dossiers (finding out she could bond with more than just one of any set of Flame user, even if only one would be active Guardian at any time had opened up a lot more options) and a very nice tea pot with a selection of loose leaf teas.

The party wasn't exactly small, but it wasn't cloying like the one she had with the Weasleys. People here took her seriously, complimented on her ability to speak Italian, and generally spoiled Claire and Hedwig rotten.

By the end of the night, she had two teens who were almost in their twenties who might take to her, and were particularly hopeful that they bonded. They were the "spare" sons of lesser mafia families, a Mist and a Rain respectively. If they couldn't get picked up as Guardians then their prospects were rather limited, unless they could get the attention of a major family like the Vongola or get scouted by the Varia.

They had acted out as kids, but within seconds of meeting Iris had treated her more like a little sister than their boss. They didn't crowd her, they didn't act as though she didn't have a mind, and when given a chance both were very sweet underneath their tattooed exterior.

Iris was already making a name for herself as a freelance Sky with a penchant for strays...be they human or animal. She also had a no-nonsense attitude and wasn't the least bit impressed or intimidated by the bigger families, which meant her natural Sky aura might make her a neutral negotiator between families.

Something that would be in very high demand and earn her a lot of favor without having to worry about family rivalries or succession nonsense.

Iris opened up the first set of profiles...and the second she saw who the prospective Lightning Guardian was, she damn near covered the rest of the papers with her tea. Her coughing drew Shamal and Ren from their movie.

"What's wrong?" asked Ren in concern.

She managed to clear her airways, and turned the file over to him. It took exactly two seconds before Ren looked torn between worry and laughing his ass off.

"What?"

"It's... It's Sirius!" she said, laughing.

There on the paper was one "Sirius Black" complete with skill set and picture. And sure enough, she recognized him immediately.

"Want me to scout him out to see why he's here?" asked Ren.

She nodded emphatically.

"It's doubtful we're going to take him on, since I've been around him for some time and never Harmonized with him," said Iris.

At the very least it meant he finally had a chance to meet the one person who genuinely seemed to give a damn about Iris.

* * *

"Look alive Black. The Sun Guardian of an upcoming Sky is coming to interview you to see if you're worthy of joining their oddball family," said Coyote.

"Oddball?"

"The girl isn't affiliated with any of the families, and from what we can tell will likely end up as a neutral party to settle disputes without unnecessary bloodshed. On an unrelated note, there's an open bet on when either her or her Sun will figure out they like each other."

"That's allowed?"

"Most might frown on it, but the Sun is ridiculously strong and majorly territorial. Apparently the very first time they met each other they Harmonized immediately. Besides, it allows her to maintain her neutrality since her Guardian is a freelance hitman who refused to ally with any families unless he found a Sky that he Harmonized with."

"This guy have a name?"

"Renato Sinclair, and if you ask him he's the World's Greatest Hitman. Give him a few years and he'll have definitely earned it...the kid is good."

The second he met Renato, Sirius first thought was that the guy was a major flirt and playboy. He was undoubtedly good at what he did and wore his arrogance like a second vest.

On the other hand, he looked damn familiar and he couldn't figure out _why_.

"So, Sirius Black. Notorious mass murderer and wizard. Give me a good reason why my Sky should consider you as one of her...strays."

Okay, now he _knew_ he had heard of this guy before.

Sirius gave a basic gist of his abilities, and the fact this guy didn't even _look_ surprised when he turned into Padfoot said volumes. There was also this vaguely amused feeling coming off him, like he was privy to a really good prank.

It wasn't until he saw a familiar two-way diary that he realized how he knew the guy, even if this was the first time they had met.

His jaw dropped.

" _You're_ Ren."

"And for a Marauder you're damn slow on the uptake, Padfoot," he deadpanned.

Sirius couldn't believe this. He was standing next to Ren, his pup's best friend from overseas...which meant that Iris was likely the Sky who was in love with her Sun.

"How is she?"

"Healing. She crashed when I found her, and it took her two days before she was even able to function normally. She's not going back, and anyone who tries to force her are going to be in for a nasty surprise when we're through with them."

"So long as she's happy and safe, I don't give a damn. I'm not going back either."

Ren raises an eyebrow.

"Dumbledore made it perfectly clear, without actually saying as much, that he now views her as someone who might as well be a Death Eater because she killed Umbitch without hesitation over a 'minor matter' in his eyes. The minute I realized he honestly believed she had gone Dark, I had enough and came here. Fortunately Coyote was willing to vouch for me when I made it clear I was interested in acting as a spy."

"Because no one really pays attention to strays."

"Moony is likely pissed at me, but frankly if I stayed another month in that house I might commit murder of my own, starting with that greasy haired bastard."

Ren suddenly smirked, his face partially obscured by his rather fancy fedora.

"She asked me where the best spot to stab the Toad was with a butter knife, two months before she snapped."

Sirius blinked.

"Well that explains a lot."

Like why she stabbed the Toad in the eye at that angle rather than go for the heart like he would have.

"I'll see if she's open to talking, even if it's indirectly like through that mirror you gave her. She was not in a good place when she contacted me to come find her."

Sirius nodded. He could empathize with that. He hadn't been in a good place right after Azkaban...and he still wasn't. He was perfectly fine with giving her space until she was ready.

* * *

Iris was going through yet another set of profiles, waiting for one to catch her attention. It wasn't like she had anything better to do, and after catching up on her high school education and even graduating early she was _bored_. She was about to finish the latest stack when she felt a tingle up her arm. Intrigued, she opened the file.

Ranma Saotome, a Lightning Primary and Sun Secondary Flame. Highly allergic to cats, awakened Flames at an abnormally early age due to trauma, professional martial artist, failed marriage to abusive wife, has multiple contracts pending back in Japan, abandoned his family behind due to the fact it was his father who created the multiple contracts without consent. Possible pervert and panty thief.

That last line made her blink.

According to his file he left home when he realized he was in a no-win situation, and while most families would _love_ to have someone of his apparent skill level in their Family, his luck was chaotic at best and that wasn't including the odd notation of a curse on him. More than that, there was a clear issue with authority, and little wonder if his father forced multiple marriage contracts on him!

Something about him called to her, and she was bored enough to give him a shot.

She wanted to hear his story before trying to Harmonize with him.

"Anyone good?" asked Ren.

"A possible Lightning. I'll set up a meeting with him within a week," she replied.

Ren nodded, not really interested. They had set up over a dozen meetings, and no one really took. It was a small price to pay to keep the more Stupid Flames users from trying anything with HIS Sky.

 _One week later..._

A young man about eighteen or nineteen was looking around nervously. He had been desperate when he had fled to Italy, and ended up partially recruited as a bodyguard for "Non Sky Dons", whatever that meant. It was a steady paycheck, but it was rare to be hired twice.

And now someone was specifically interested in him because he was a Lightning, whatever that was. Something about the different Chi types and how certain aspects were picked as "Guardians".

Seeing the girl about his age, if not a few years younger, he nearly had a heart attack. Thankfully she was clearly enamored with the fancy guy beside her.

" _Are you Saotome Ranma?"_ asked the man in perfect Japanese.

Thank kami-sama. He really didn't want to use his butchered Italian.

He nodded.

The girl sat down, and the guy who had all the feel of a professional killer acted as translator, making it easier for them all around.

She asked him a series of questions, and unlike most possible bodyguard prospects, she genuinely seemed interested in why he fled his homeland. Hearing that his pop had forced him to endure an absurd number of ridiculous and often painful training exercises to Become the Best and then shoved a shit ton of marriage contracts with people he only met once to scam them out of food, booze or things to steal for some quick cash had made her surprisingly sympathetic.

" _I left home too, because I couldn't take their nonsense anymore. Not to mention the fact that if I stayed they would have forced the idea of becoming a martyr for inbred hicks down my throat and expected me to be grateful for the tiny scraps of freedom I had. And from what I can tell, we'll get along splendidly once we establish certain ground rules,"_ she had the guy translate.

Ranma was on his last bits of cash, and would be desperate for any gig soon.

The guy, Renato, gave him an address to a rather decent area in mafia-owned territory. Of course there would be traps to avoid in the front yard and the gate, but considering what the guy likely did for a living that was normal.

They paid for lunch, and for the first time in months he felt some hope that things might go his way for once.

 _In the house..._

"Well? What did you think of him?" asked Iris.

"I think he'd make a good Lightning Guardian. He's too honest for anything short of bodywork and he was definitely relieved when he realized you had zero romantic interest in him. Besides, it's not like he has anywhere else to go...his personality makes him rather undesirable to be around for long periods of time and he attracts chaos worse than you do."

"Good thing there's an anti-cat ward around the place."

Shamal was allergic to the things, or so he claimed. Then again, Hedwig was more than enough to keep any possible rodent infestation down and she was the perfect messenger.

A few days later, Ranma came to their home and once settled fit in nicely. Even if they did have to correct his eating habits.

Iris didn't mind cooking large meals, but she did expect a certain level of manners. And that did not include devouring the food like a black hole or using the cutlery to simple shove the food in.

It was disgusting enough to watch Ron eat like a pig. She refused to allow her Guardians to do the same.

Within a month, the two Harmonized to the point where Ranma's more irritating habits settled down.

He was a surprisingly good at carpentry and fixing things like the plumbing (usually because he was the one who broke it in the first place) and once he had a proper dojo to work with, complete with enchanted dummies that were designed with him in mind, he seemed much happier all around.

Of course that could also be because he had an iron-clad contract stating any potential marriage partners, of either gender, would have to go through his Sky and her Sun Guardian before they could even approach him about any agreements his father made.

Ren had a few mafia-affiliated lawyers on speed dial once said "fiancees" tracked the poor guy down to get rid of them.

* * *

Iris and Ranma were in the dojo, practicing martial arts. While she was a natural sharpshooter, and did carry a gun and a few clips of ammo on her legs within easy reach (she was more than used to wearing skirts and loose jeans), she found martial arts to be fascinating.

Ranma didn't mind teaching her, since she had a greater respect for the Art than Akane ever had and wasn't afraid of hard work or a little pain to get stronger. She might not be at the same level he was, she could at least be enough of a threat to keep people from bothering her without having to bring out her gun.

Renato was all for it, if for no other reason than to keep his Sky safe while he wasn't around.

Hearing someone enter the gate, they waited for a bit before Claire barked in happy greeting. They relaxed and called a break to see who came.

Ranma had a soft spot for animals, save for felines, and had gotten along with Claire to the point where it was fairly common to see her mooching off his scraps during meals. She didn't even have to break out the puppy dog eyes for it either.

Iris made sure he knew what foods were safe for canines, and let the dog bond with the Lightning Guardian.

Besides she was the guard dog, so she deserved to be spoiled rotten. That way anyone trying to get on her good side with food so they could break in later would have to get something really expensive to bribe her with.

Claire was smart enough to only trust food from _her_ humans. She had seen some of her fellow dogs die from bad food from her handlers.

"So Ren, you got any plans for this Sunday?" asked Ranma.

Ren had been acting suspicious for weeks, and he had a good idea why. It was pretty damn obvious to anyone who was around the two that they just needed a good old fashioned shove to see the feelings they had for each other and make it official. So he cheerfully joined Shamal and the Donna of the Vongola's not-so-secret betting pool on when they would confess to each other.

If not, well he wasn't afraid to cheat and shoot one of them with a "Deathperation Bullet", which he still maintained was the worst name ever for those weird Dying Will bullets Leon kept making.

If for not other reason than the entertainment of seeing Ren run around in his underwear proclaiming his love for his Sky. Even if the guy was likely to kick his ass for it later, or shoot him with one of the bullets himself.

Ren looked at Ranma sideways, and the pigtailed martial artist smirked.

"This does not get out to Iris. I don't want to ruin the surprise."

He pulled out a ring, obviously made by Talbot. He must have been saving for years to pay for something like this, because that old man was expensive to the point only well established Families could pay for his fees.

Ranma whistled, then mimed zipping his lips.

On the plus side, he was totally going to win the betting pool.

"How the hell did you manage to pay for that without tipping her off anyway?"

"Apparently Iris gave back something that belonged to him that a former apprentice was stupid enough to steal without asking and use for bait. That and he felt it would be hilarious to snub the Ministry."

He wasn't about to ask what Talbot meant by that, he was just glad the old geezer had given him a 'failed' ring to propose with, so long as Ren was willing to shell out the discounted price on a proper one from him instead of buying some modern piece of junk that just looked pretty.

Of course even a ring he considered a failure was well above the average price range of the most expensive engagement ring on the market.

* * *

 _Sunday..._

Ren took Iris out on a date. Of course he didn't phrase it as such, because that would ruin the surprise. Fortunately her experience dating was nonexistent, so she was almost completely clueless as to what he had planned.

He was also well aware Ranma and Shamal were stalking them, taking pictures. He didn't care so long as they were fine acting as the ones to capture what he had planned at sunset.

They had dinner, saw a few shows including the Russian Ballet since Iris liked the soothing nature of dancing and modern plays to the loud explosions of modern movies (not to mention it was less headache inducing from the sheer volume level most theaters had), and even did some shopping.

It was close to dinner near a rather secluded area that was absolutely beautiful in the dying light of day.

Iris was too shocked to react when Ren got on one knee and brought out a ring.

Nearby, Shamal and Ranma were sharing a look that clearly said "It's about damn time!"

And yes, Ranma did win the bet for when Ren would propose, and that Iris would accept it without question. The two were practically made for each other.


	4. Chapter 4

Ren is faced with the unusual realization to how large his social circle is when faced with the prospect of an upcoming wedding. Namely the guest list.

He was honestly shocked at how many people he knew, and was stuck figuring out who to invite and who to avoid like the plague.

Donna Vongola gets an automatic invite, because she still meets Iris at least twice a month for tea and chatting. Which means she will almost certainly be on her side along with her Guardians. The current head of the Family would likely send something nice and appropriate for a new bride, but the odds of him coming were relatively small. Even so, Iris insists on sending both an invite.

She was British, which meant social politeness at the higher levels was practically breed into her.

Sirius was a given, since he would be walking her down the isle to stand in for her father.

Iris was having her own issues on choosing who to invite on her side from England. The only sure thing right now was Fleur Delacour and her sister Gabrielle, since they were the ones who helped her master French during the tournament, at least once Fleur opened up after the Second task.

Considering the reason why she left, it made choosing who to invite that much harder. The twins had already agreed to come, as they had left the school before the "Toad Incident" as it was being called by the papers.

Interestingly enough, Amelia Bones put her foot down upon hearing reports of Umbridge harassing Iris to the point where she was well within her rights to deal with the woman permanently when given sufficient provocation.

It was well known Iris treasured her two-way diary, even if no one was fully aware who the other half belonged to. By taking it in front of so many witnesses and ignoring a very clear warning of violence from Iris twice (Amelia had seen her niece's memories and saw the warning signs Susan missed) she signed her own death warrant, even if it had come as such a shock to realize Iris Potter was fully capable of killing someone in cold blood with such ease.

Amelia had looked back on the limited interaction Susan had with the girl, and saw a disturbing pattern that obviously lead to this incident. It was little surprise to her when she put the pieces together that Iris had very little problem with killing considering how little regard the magical population of the castle had with shoving their problems solely on her and shunning her without hesitation the moment she failed to live up to the image of a "light witch".

The shocking nature of her actions was more than enough grounds for an inquiry to be sparked on the school, and on the teachers. Except this time, it wouldn't be a "witch hunt" for Dumbledore supporters, but for incompetence.

Snape was, to no one's surprise, the first to feel the boot as a result of that inquiry.

Iris was just shocked that a pure blood raised in magical England had some common bloody sense. So she gave Sirius permission to invite Amelia Bones as his date to the wedding, along with Susan.

Luna Lovegood, who had been visiting the Thestrals at the time of the incident, was also invited.

She had such a unique world view and was so desperately lonely that she had attached herself to Iris much like a puppy. The fact that the loyalty she gave was always reciprocated...and the fact Iris was genuinely amused by the way Luna gave Granger migraines trying to disprove her outlandish claims...meant she was one of the few people Iris wouldn't mind coming.

As for her former friends... Sirius had let her see for herself how Hermione and Ron reacted once the initial shock of someone being killed so casually by their best friend in front of them. The memory was very telling.

Hermione came from a well adjusted background where the 'rules' of society were followed without question, and where murderers were imprisoned rather than dealt with in a permanent manner. She wasn't used to casual violence, and abhorred it as barbaric. That her best friend had killed someone without hesitation had horrified and disgusted her, and it was highly unlikely they would remain friends.

Ron...well he had been on shaky ground since fourth year and his reaction to the sudden murder so close to him had shattered any chance of proper reconciliation. He was a hypocrite who had been coddled and sheltered for years. Realizing that his life would no longer be a "fun game" he could play through had come as a nasty shock, and he hated her for it. He didn't want to leave the safe bubble his mother had shoved him in, and facing the cold hard reality of life had lead to open resentment.

Iris could honestly say that she was glad this had gotten out before she was dragged into a war she wanted no part in. Hermione and Ron were acceptable "childhood" friends, but they lived in a world that had been denied her since her parents were murdered. Iris lived in the real world, where things were rarely as good at they appeared on the surface and where death was a short step away from taking you.

She simply took the first step out of being a child into adulthood before her former friends, and they were reeling from the fact that life wasn't fair.

Well, it wasn't her problem anymore. She had Ren and her Guardians, and the one person who actually gave a damn about her still loved her, even if she had lost the last child-like innocence she still had.

The less said about Dumbledore, who didn't like the fact she had become proactive to threats instead of giving them a "second chance" they so clearly did not deserve or want, the better. If he wanted to sacrifice pawns, he could do it on a damn chess board.

War was not kind. It was not pleasant. It did not have room for foolish pacifists who thought everyone could be redeemed at the expense of those who died before their time.

Iris accepted death was a part of war. Dumbledore refused to acknowledge that reality, and would continue to do so until it was clear he wasn't going to win.

It was really little wonder that the second Iris expressed an interest in learning how to shoot and to take out enemies with ruthless efficiency, Renato had trained her to become a professional hit-woman. He was not blind, not was he a fool.

With the prophecy Sirius gave to them, it was obvious England would not let her live her life until the Dark Lord was dead a second time. And frankly he would rather have her as a partner fully capable of matching him bullet for bullet than dead because the sheep wanted a sacrificial lamb for the slaughter.

Besides, it was an excellent way to bond with his Sky and now fiancee. She found it cathartic to shoot things.

Shamal found it hilarious to bring up suggestions, and to have Ren glare at him venomously. He had to keep reminding himself that the man was a friend and his best man, and therefor it would be beyond rude to shoot him in the ass.

It was so tempting though...

* * *

As it turns out, Fleur and Gabrielle were quick to come to Italy to meet the man that their friend had spoken of with such fondness and who had the balls to marry her.

Ren doesn't say it, but he is beyond happy at the way Iris relaxes when they cheerfully inform her that killing Umbridge changed absolutely nothing...outside of the fact that the Sisterhood, which consisted of the majority of the Veela and their closest female friends, had decided to make her one of them the moment they found out why Iris Potter had left Hogwarts for good despite not taking her O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s before leaving.

In fact the Veela were so pleased with how she dealt with the aggravating woman, who considered anyone _not_ pure blood, English or was high enough on the Ministry food chain as lesser beasts, that they were more than happy to help her get the appropriate tests done to be considered a proper witch. And that included a new wand.

They were also more than happy to extend an open invitation to visit their enclaves, since Iris had never held Veela allure against Fleur or Gabrielle when she got to know them. It was so rare for a female to befriend a Veela or defend them against the males that they were almost always brought into the Sisterhood.

Ranma was just glad Iris had given him a heads up about their ability, and had promptly put himself under his curse (which for some reason turned him into a girl, complete with that time of the month) for the entirety of their visit. Considering his past luck with the supernatural or romance in general, Iris did not blame him one bit and had the decency to let him raid the fridge for mass quantities of ice cream and other sweets so long as he left her personal favorites alone.

All Renato knows is that Iris is happy and that Fleur is more than capable of taking her shopping for the wedding. So long as she is happy, he did not honestly care about the specifics.

That way lead to madness and him being more than happy to take extra difficult targets that took days to kill, if only to avoid hearing too many tiny details that didn't really matter in the end.

Shamal called him a coward. Renato was more than happy to shoot at him in retaliation.

And then the unholy alliance occurred. The former Donna of the Vongola family was introduced to a representative of the Sisterhood while Iris watched with amusement.

Men everywhere shivered in fear at the terror of their women conspiring against them, cackling ominously. Don Vongola in particular felt doom descend on his home.

* * *

It took some time for the news of the upcoming wedding to reach the Order.

Mainly because Iris remembered very well who was in it, and only invited those who she felt she might be able to tolerate to the wedding. Very few of which were from England at all, and even fewer from her old class.

Neville felt himself very lucky he was one of the select few considered, since he had been helping out in the greenhouses when Iris left the school.

As a result of the fact that she invited very few of her old classmates, it took longer than it should have for the news to reach Granger or Weasley.

Most of the former DA members refused to even acknowledge either of them when they began to condemn Iris' actions that night.

Those who looked back on her murder of a woman that had made their lives hell, particularly those with mundane origins who were targeted rather heavily by the hag, would recover from the violence of it all and would come together as a group to send a collection of letters Iris would not read for almost a year expressing without hesitation that they do not condemn her for her actions and to honestly thank her for ridding the world of such a horrible woman.

Every single one of these students is a now former member of "Dumbledore's Army", which leaves a sour taste in their mouths considering he _let this happen_.

Consequently they stop believing the lies Dumbledore and the teachers tell them about life outside Hogwarts and start asking questions they would very much like to remain unanswered while they are students.

It would come as a hard blow as the muggleborns who graduate promptly leave for the real world and get an actual education they had missed out for magic, and they make it a point to warn the star struck parents when McGonagall and the teachers bring new blood in each year about the cold hard reality of the magical world.

McGonagall is befuddled and very unhappy when her now former students look at her with betrayed eyes as they explain to these children who would become first years that there are better options available, and that magical England isn't worth losing seven years of their lives for.

Hogwarts is a pretty lie that's dressed up for the muggleborns, and it's time someone started stripping the layers of bullshit off it.

Hermione and Ron are beyond angry that Iris has clearly moved on with her life and abandoned them, completely missing the fact they had left her first.

Molly is beside herself, thinking the "poor girl" fell in with the wrong sort with a foreigner, because she was firmly in denial over what happened at the school and honestly believes she had been bewitched.

Remus, after a long talk with Sirius, was tentatively invited to the wedding under pain of an angry Marauder hexing him if he tells anyone when the date is.

This is Iris' day, and he'd be damned if Dumbledore and his Order of Morons ruins it for her under some foolish attempt to bring her back.

Most of those who barely know the girl decided to go along with whoever had the strongest pull.

Nymphadora Tonks is one of the few invited, and like Remus has been sworn into secrecy out of sympathy for Iris. The poor kid needed some joy in her life, and she is one of the very select few who had been privileged to see the one picture Iris had of her fiancee.

She would openly admit this Ren guy was a major catch.

It takes an equally long time for news to reach the Death Eaters and Voldemort. In short order, feelers are sent out to find out when and where the wedding will take place, in order to crash the reception.

And while they are able to get said information, they are firmly unaware that the guest list is almost entirely full of mafia, all of whom have been informed that it _is_ acceptable to come armed with at least a light amount of weaponry and that the groom would be more than happy to supply more guns and ammo if someone is stupid enough to start something.

Considering the wedding would take place on Mafia Land (to further confuse anyone stupid enough to attach and make it easier to keep any noisy law enforcement from trying to sneak onto the guest list) the fact that anyone dumb enough to crash the reception or the wedding would be in for a truly nasty surprise.

Iris finds this fact hilarious, and was more than happy to let the information slip to the Death Eaters and claim it's part of the party during the reception.

If they're stupid enough to show up, she would gleefully watch the inbred morons get cut down by killers and criminals who have infinitely more class and influence than they could ever hope for.

* * *

On the day of the big event, specially made port keys are given to the magical guests, as Mafia Land is practically a moving island sponsored by the "better" Families.

Sirius finds it absolutely hilarious that Iris just "happens" to let it slip where the island would be on the day of the wedding to known Death Eaters. It was like slipping an untraceable poison to an enemy, except they had no idea what the effects would be. He, like Iris, would be enjoying the show while the guests cheerfully murdered the lot of the intruders as part of the reception games. The fact she openly informed the guests of likely intruders that wouldn't be missed if they "happened" to try and crash the reception is met with bloodthirsty amusement.

It is a show of how much the Families trust Iris to keep things civil that they bring their children and heirs with them, and that she has kid-friendly games that include paint ball for those old enough to understand that a gun isn't a toy, and water soluble paint in a rainbow of colors for those who didn't. It was a guaranteed mess, but Iris could care less.

That's what the 'scourgify' charm was for after all.

The wedding itself goes off without a hitch, and Sirius is the proud replacement for James as he gives her away to the one man who actually understood and accepted her past.

Within an hour of the reception being underway (everyone was treating it as a chance to do discreet deals with Iris' unspoken approval, so long as it was kept civil) the highest members of the Death Eaters arrived in an attempt to intimidate and terrify.

Severus Snape, who had only come to insure the damn Potter brat lived through this, realized his error immediately when the adult guests (the kids had a private hall warded to the nines where they were causing approved chaos) all drew guns or other weapons and grinned viciously.

Renato was busy holding his cackling wife as she saw the idiots get slaughtered by her mafia guests. Needless to say the magical ones were shell shocked, save for a select few, upon realizing they were among hardened killers and criminals. And that Iris had married one.

It was a testament to how much they respected Iris that most of her magical guests still called her friend.

It was also a sad truth that the Order didn't arrive for a good half hour to 'subdue' the Death Eaters and "protect" the survivors, long after the bodies were not so discreetly thrown off the island for the sharks that lived around it to eat.

Amelia frowned, but the mafiaso were polite enough to wait until she verified who they were and that they were definitely dead before tossing them off the cliffs.

Severus would not have a pleasant night, as while he had survived with his life, Voldemort was _not_ happy hearing Iris had deliberately set a deadly trap for his forces.

Amelia Bones was absolutely disgusted. And it had nothing to do with Iris Sinclair, or the fact she had openly set a trap for Death Eaters as part of the party games. Or that the girl had allied herself with the muggle underworld after killing Umbridge.

They were hardened killers and people who she would be duty-bound to arrest if they weren't muggles. And yet they had more spine than half her auror force save for those who had lived through the first round of You-Know-Who's reign of terror.

The fact they had happily gone back to the party once the shooting was over with their muggle wands and allowed her to examine the dead to confirm their identities for her records said volumes. That they also didn't think twice about disposing of the bodies over the convenient cliff that Iris had deliberately picked for the reception area for just that purpose didn't help either.

No, her disgust was solidly with Dumbledore who had the gall to complain about the fact they had defended themselves against the Death Eaters and didn't give them a chance to surrender. He had been so busy with trying to convince Iris and her new husband to accept his vaunted protection from the Dark Lord that he completely missed Amelia and her group. And they weren't even _trying_ to hide from him either.

After examining the current lot of aurors from the past few years, or at least the past ten years, Amelia Bones had come to an unpleasant conclusion.

Dumbledore had lost his damn mind. And it was past time to start ignoring him as a war general and actually _do_ something about the problem before it got any worse!

Luckily, Fudge had long since been tossed out as Minister upon finding out what sort of monster he openly sent to the school. The parents had been beyond furious finding out Umbridge handed out detentions like candy and used blood quills on their children. Soon after her death, the students were finally able to speak out about what had been really going on in that school while the teachers scrambled to cover up the "headmistress'" death by Iris Potter.

Rufus was so much more reasonable.


	5. Chapter 5

Ren was staring at Talbot, who's real name was Nicholas Flamel, and his new wife cheerfully debate magic. Penny (Talbot's wife) patted him on the hand while happily serving cookies.

Iris had taken the opportunity to send a letter to Flamel shortly after Renato had absconded with her to Italy, and had been pleasantly surprised when he showed up in his Talbot persona to find out who had been able to get past his mail wards.

Finding out she had the stone he had allowed Albus to "borrow" for a brief period and never returned, claiming it had been destroyed in an accident had come as a surprise for everyone involved. Upon hearing the reason _why_ she left the school and the extremes she had to go before that point, Nicholas had been most displeased with his former alchemy apprentice.

Enough so that he corrected her education in Potions and invited her to visit his actual home. Penny had fallen in love with the girl immediately, to the point she treated her like a favorite niece.

It was only thanks to his tutoring (and letting her borrow his magical library) that she was able to get a perfect score on almost every subject in her Ordinary Wizarding Levels once Fleur bullied her into taking them, as well as her Defense and Warding Mastery.

At least the mystery of why he was able to get such a good discount on the wedding ring from Talbot had been solved.

Having a properly tuned Sun-ring was usually so expensive that most Families only bought them for the Guardians of their Don. Especially the kind Talbot made.

There were plenty of lower ranked rings one could buy, but S-ranked rings were hoarded with religious fervor.

And Talbot gave her a discount for her and her Guardians. Shamal had actually passed out when he found out what Iris gave him for his birthday.

Ren wondered how long it would be until the idiot finally admitted he was in love with Iris' cousin Nymphadora. The minute he found out that the cheerful and clumsy girl could shape shift into any woman he wanted and didn't seem openly offended by his flirting, he had fallen for her.

Sure she was law enforcement, but she wasn't obligated to arrest criminals from the real world. Only the magical one.

It could work, if they were willing to put in some effort.

Well, that and Iris had 'accidentally' warned him the Black family had a castration curse, so if he got Tonks knocked up and tried to leave her he would regret it in very short order. Having Sirius confirm that there was such a curse when asked (and hiding a very big grin) had been hilarious.

"So how was the honeymoon?" asked Talbot cheerfully. It was hard to consider him "Nicholas" after all this time.

Iris blushed, and Ren smirked. The old man cackled.

"Did you even leave the bedroom the entire time?" asked Penny with a mischievous grin.

"After three days we did. Being allowed to access the Vongola family's private beach was a lot of fun," said Iris, her face a solid blush.

The two old folks cackled.

"Ah, to be young and in love."

"So how did young Albus react to the fact you were married to a hitman and that you're now connected to the Mafia?" asked Nicholas.

"You should have seen his face when he heard exactly what we did with the bodies. Frankly the reaction people had to you showing up to give Ren the rings was funnier."

Nicholas cackled.

That had been truly hilarious, seeing their reaction to the fact Ren going to Talbot for the wedding rings.

It was even funnier to their reaction when they heard Iris knew Talbot's real name.

"I have to know. Exactly how did the two of you meet anyway? I don't see a hit man meeting someone like you in Surrey of all places," asked Nicholas, sipping his tea.

Ren chuckled and hid his expression behind his favorite fedora. Iris had stitched a tiny Leon on the orange band, with his tongue shooting out hitting a bullet.

"If you're talking about how we met face to face, it was after she left Hogwarts and told me the general area of where she was. If you're talking about how we first 'met' as in started talking to each other..."

"It was a childish pen pal program for my grade school when I was ten," answered Iris.

Nicholas choked. He stared at them both.

"Seriously?"

"I was the only one who kept writing my pen pal after the assignment was over, and I found it relaxing to write to someone I had never met that wouldn't judge me for my home life or background. After I got over the shock of being famous for something I didn't do, I found it a great stress relief to keep it up. It's actually because of Ren I was able to find the strength to leave at all, much less deal with that damn toad."

Ren chuckled.

"I knew she was at her breaking point when she openly asked me where the best place to shove a butter knife into someone to permanently deal with them was, and the she blatantly admitted that she knew I was with the mafia, or at least affiliated with them. And more to the point, that she had long since guessed I was a hit man and didn't give a damn."

Iris wasn't the only one who had a sense of relief being able to unload on someone who wouldn't judge him for what he did. The fact she felt comfortable enough to ask him something as shocking as what the best way to kill someone was a true acknowledgment of the trust they had for each other.

It was also a sign she was so far over her head that he would need to clear his schedule so he could find and protect her. He didn't want his best friend to die because someone else was being Stupid.

Nicholas looked at them both, to see if they were joking...and then about busted a rib when he realized they were being serious.

"Dear merciful Truth! The World's Greatest Hitman and the Light's Hope, meeting because of something as silly as a pen pal program!" he howled laughing.

"Light's Hope? Please, I could care less if that place burns," said Iris crossly.

Nicholas managed to get his laughter under control to give them an odd look.

"That meager prophecy Albus clings to is just part of the puzzle. You're meant for more than just a country that's long over due for a massive shake up. And when combined with a man who can make or break someone with only a single statement... you two will be a terrifying combination, I know it. Why else did you think I made your rings with those specific stones?"

There was something terrible coming, a cycle that was being repeated that never should have existed in the first place. And to his great shame, he had contributed to it without realizing.

He had been a naïve fool when he made the original Vongola and Mare rings, and it was shortly after discovering the truth of the Stone.

Which was why he was taking a gamble and creating some...insurance. The rings he made for Iris and Renato were unique, and could become as powerful Tri-Ni-Set if given the chance.

But first they had to grow. Which meant gathering her Guardians and dealing with the two fools in England once and for all.

Nicholas had a bad feeling about the Arcebaleno from the get go. And it had only gotten worse with the creation of the Vindice.

He had the distinct feeling Iris and her husband would be the one to change the tide.

* * *

Ren was just finishing a job when he felt it. Something that made his ring shiver on his right hand.

Anything that made the ring react, according to Talbot, was a bad sign. A very bad sign.

" _Would you like a job?"_

Ren didn't trust him, but Talbot did ask that he gather information on someone looking to recruit the World's Seven Greatest.

Iris was going to be furious though.

"YOU WHAT?!"

Ren winced at the volume level coming from his wife.

Shamal and Ranma, the cowards, were staying well out of the blast range.

"I got ask to join the I Prescelti Sette," he repeated.

"Oh _hell_ no. Don't you remember what Talbot said?"

Iris wasn't angry. She was furious.

Ren winced.

"From the sound of it, this man intends to have us fulfill a series of tasks. Odds are that a tournament will follow afterwards. I have no intention of finishing his tasks. I don't want to end up cursed."

Because Talbot had been _very_ specific what happened to those that got selected as the Arcobaleno. They got turned into infants and then killed after a certain period of time had passed.

And if he got cursed, Iris would never let him live it down.

"Recon _only_. I don't care if you have to kill someone to come back to me," she said fuming.

Shamal, the annoying Mist that he was, snickered at her tone. Ren foresaw many, many days on the couch with Claire and Leon with him unless he could find a way to sweet talk his wife into forgiving him.

Why had he gotten married again?

Oh yeah, he remembered. No one had ever understood him at such an instinctive level without trying to change him like Iris had. That and the fact that she had loved him without even knowing what he looked like, whether or not he was rich, or even he could reciprocate the level of trust she had in him.

Finding out she was his perfect Sky had been an extraordinary bonus, in retrospect.

* * *

Iris was not in a good mood. For the past week she had been suffering under a nasty flu, and Shamal wasn't due to return for two days. Being woken up retching her guts out for fifteen minutes was not how she enjoyed starting her day.

That idiot better not have infected her with one his random diseases by accident. She really didn't appreciate the sudden sensitivity to smells.

Ranma, being a rare sort of man who could cook and not ruin it, was able to figure out through trial and error what set her running to the toilet. So far they had narrowed it down to any and all seafood, Chinese and Thai foods. Oh, and anything stronger than butterbeer, which had barely even a hint of alcohol in it made everything worse.

Not even ginger seemed to help her stomach.

Hearing the door open, she felt the soothing hand of Ren, putting his palm against her forehead.

"You're not running a temperature. How long has this been going on?"

"For the past week," she said miserably.

Ren paused.

"What were your symptoms again?"

"She's been vomiting with regularity for over a week, usually after I use a spice that she can smell from a room away, and she has an increased sense of... oh you have got to be kidding me," said Ranma with a pained look on his face.

Ren had a similar look on his face.

"Iris, when was the last time you had to deal with that time of the month?" he said gently.

She thought it over, before paling.

It had been close to two months.

"Right, I'm calling Shamal to confirm it," said Ren firmly.

"Why bother? The two of you have been going at it like bunnies since the wedding, and the only boxes are in Shamal's room since I refuse to bother with that sort of nonsense."

"Better to confirm it though."

The next morning Shamal was giving her an exam, before he grinned at Ren.

"She's pregnant."

"How far along?"

"At least eleven weeks."

"So it's not the flu or something obscure you accidentally injected me with," she said miserably. She had been unable to keep anything down for a while now.

"Nope. I can give you a list of things you can take to ease the morning sickness."

"Please. Ginger does absolutely nothing," she said with a pained expression. It wasn't that she was unhappy about the news, but she would prefer not to be sick.

She spent enough time in hospitals as a kid.

Then a sudden thought occurred to her.

"Does this mean I have to cancel my appearance at the ball the Vongola are hosting?

"No alcohol, nicotine and avoid any fights. Other than that, you should be fine to go."

Iris, once she got over the crowd factor, _loved_ the balls of the mafiaso. Mostly because they had more class than the one magical ball she attended. The music was tasteful, and while people very rarely danced at them she always got to enjoy seeing people in beautiful clothing.

Ren tolerated them because she had no issues with him being a total troll just to spread chaos.

Ranma avoided them not because he didn't like them, but because he had been quietly asked not to come unless he was on guard duty. His manners were at least acceptable now, but chaos like he attracted was not something the mafia needed when it was hard enough keeping the peace.

Coincidentally, upon finding out that Iris had a calming effect and kept bloodshed to an absolute minimum, she found herself with an invitation to all the major meetings to keep the peace. Having an unattached Sky made things a lot smoother for all around.

She even had an official title. The Mediator.

Iris had a few months before her baby bump would make wearing her favorite sleek dresses and high heels all but impossible.

* * *

"Ren, can you help me with the back of this dress?"

Ren was behind her and helping zip up the black and silver dress. Iris rarely wore red on the basis that her red hair was brilliant enough that it was unnecessary, and that gold clashed with her complexion even if it did serve as a nice reminder of her house colors. The same did not apply to her nails, which were a shiny blood red in color.

The dress exposed her collar bone, and went nicely with the black scarf around her neck. Her hair was tastefully held up away from her neck, and she wore silver fangs on her ears. Thanks to the wonders of contacts, her brilliant green eyes were visible without being obscured by frames.

Because she didn't feel like messing with high heels, since they would only swell up anyway later, she wore tasteful sandals that allowed movement without the risk factor of tripping. Even if her heels usually hid points sharp enough to stab someone with, as well as random snake venoms since she was immune anyway.

Ren gave a light kiss to her shoulder.

"You are a shameless flirt," she chastised playfully.

"And you are a vixen who has long stolen my heart," he shot back.

"You two lovebirds done?" Ranma called out. "The car's here."

"How do I look?" she asked, twirling around lightly.

"You could have bed head and a loose shirt on, and you would still be stunning," he replied immediately.

She preened, pleased. Then again he could care less what she wore. He would love her anyway.

Ren held the door open, allowing his wife to enter first. Once he was inside, they were off to mingle with the Vongola family. He heard rumors that one of Nono's more vicious sons would be there.

Xanxus had a reputation for being an angry little shit.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a knife pointed at your back hidden behind fake smiles and kind words. In short, like every _other_ ball Ren had attended since Iris became known to the Underworld. She moved like a social butterfly, glittering among many others. But there was a presence about her that had her interacting with the most dangerous people among the Families without fear. A sense of a lioness stalking among her fellow lions.

She avoided certain tables, because alcohol still set her off even with a slightly adjusted diet regimen from Shamal geared towards keeping morning sickness from hitting her too hard.

He mingled, half-heartedly, and started spreading out his business cards to his usual intermediary. Only the rookies and the idiotic made contact with their client directly.

Ren preferred passing along his handler's name. It kept things nice and tidy, and avoided pesky ambushes from the families of people he killed in the past.

Soon enough her condition had her sitting at the one table that was rather empty save for one occupant who glared at everyone with equal disdain.

A quick glance at his eyes confirmed his suspicions.

Red eyes like his were rather rare, after all. And even fewer had his "sunny" disposition.

Iris' Sky influence worked it's magic, or perhaps it was the way she treated him, but soon the two were calmly chatting and his surly looks started to settle down.

Ren sat next to his wife.

"Having fun, tesoro?"

Iris beamed at him.

"Ren, I would like you to meet Xanxus Vongola. Little dragon, this is my husband Renato."

Dragon seemed to be an appropriate description. The teen certainly seemed to like it.

"You don't seem like the trash surrounding us," he said gruffly.

Ren snorted.

"Unlike most of the people here, I don't really hide my profession."

Ren was a killer, plain and simple. Iris was one as well, to a lesser extent. She didn't accept contracts, but if she had to choose between talking and ending a threat in a permanent manner she wouldn't hesitate.

It was one of the main reasons she couldn't respect Dumbledore ever again. The man was a coward.

At least the Ministry had finally gotten off it's ass and quit listening to the old man's speeches about "redemption" and "greater good". Death Eaters were learning the hard way Amelia Bones had no intention of giving quarter if they showed their faces.

She, like many of the old families had the common sense to move out of their ancestral homes and into safe houses guarded by the same charm that should have guarded her parents and anonymity. Considering Voldemort's habits of wiping families out to the last man, woman and child, the "demands" of the Ministry to register magical homes were met with deaf ears.

A safe house was only safe as long as no one was aware of it's location, after all. Manors could be rebuilt, but lives could never be replaced.

The Dark Lord was finding it very frustrating trying to draw out his preferred victims when all he did was destroy old wards and even older buildings. To make it even more frustrating, it was now common practice to leave all the old books and artifacts in special vaults inside Gringotts (they charged a small fee, but no one was really complaining about it) and leaving manors full of just the furniture and old things no one actually wanted anymore.

And if Voldemort was pissed about this long overdue turn of events, Dumbledore kept trying to play the "disappointed grandfather" role. And when that failed, the "bane of Grindlewald" ploy to get people to listen to him and trust him again.

Too bad for the headmaster, no one was listening to his "sage advice" anymore. Considering he had a nasty habit of sacrificing his own men in an effort to redeem people who weren't even _sorry_ for their crimes, it was little wonder that those with any real sense were tuning out his advice unless it was backed up by people willing to actually DO something rather than sit on their ass with vital information.

Xanxus eyed his brothers with distaste.

"I have to admit, his selection of heirs is a bit...lacking," said Iris casually. Xanxus snorted in agreement. What was worse were the idiot women who kept trying to bother him because he was one of Nono's sons, and thus a way into the family. Like he would dare sleep with trash like them.

Seeing one eye him up and happen to look at Renato with open lust, he nearly growled.

Iris noticed as well, and gained an impish look on her face.

"You're up to something."

"Hey little dragon, would you like to see a fun trick?"

"Depends on the trick," he replied. Something told him this would be hilarious.

Iris looked directly at the girl who was making doe eyes at their table, or at least the boys, and _smiled_.

Xanxus blinked when he saw the girl pale and quickly move far, far away from them without giving their table a second glance. In fact, a lot of the trash who usually bothered him at these things were vacating the area within eye sight of him.

He looked at Iris, and his jaw dropped.

She was smiling pleasantly, but his instincts as a killer told him this was a predator who would happily rend any intruders piece by painful piece if bothered. Hell, there was even an after image of a Cerberus behind her, snarling!

"You have to teach me how to do that!" he begged.

Ren chuckled darkly.

"Seems you've gained an admirer," he said.

"At least he's more tolerable than the morons back at that school," scoffed Iris. Ron had been very annoying when his hormones came and kicked him firmly in the ass.

Xanxus left the ball with a new appreciation for a girl he initially dismissed because of her job title. Iris Sinclair was not weak trash like he had thought, but a true predator he could respect. Hell, just hearing how she made her first official kill had him openly impressed.

Very few people could effectively turn a butter knife into a lethal weapon without prior training, even if she needed advice on the correct placement to make it work.

* * *

Iris managed to keep her condition quiet, at least until the baby bump finally started to make itself known. Or perhaps it was the obscure and bizarre food cravings that had her Guardians scrambling to keep her from reaching for the cutlery to throw at them.

Actually it might have been Xanxus being a rather perceptive brat and accidentally informing his grandmother that his teacher in how to be scary without really trying (in other words, the ultimate fan girl/trash repellent) about the fact that her Guardians were being extra protective of her when the bump finally started to show.

Needless to say once word got out, congratulations were sent in droves.

Ren fully planned to cite a pregnant wife when he got close to the end of the mysterious "missions" that were frequently sent from the strange man with the pacifier.

Of course the second his fellow chosen found out he was married, it didn't take much for them to invite themselves to his home to meet the woman who had managed to tame him.

Renato was after all, a shameless flirt.

Iris got along famously with practically all of them, from the quiet Fon to the mischievous and loud Colonello.

She even made the rather dramatic Skull and analytical Verde laugh.

Then came the visit to the hospital that had Ren on pins and needles.

They were going to find out what the gender of their child would be.

"Well, it's a boy. A strong and healthy heartbeat, too," announced Shamal.

"And what's Nymphadora having?" asked Iris impishly.

"A girl... I mean..." stammered Shamal. Ren grinned wickedly at him.

"Hah! I knew there was a real reason why you've been absent for so long!" said Ren.

"I'm happy for you Shamal, and really you should just invite her to Italy already. If nothing else I can give you a private safe house with a vanishing cabinet to your room," said Iris.

"A safe house would be better. I mean she can live with what I do for a living, but I would rather keep someone with her gift far from the Families if possible."

"True. They would jump on someone who can be anyone with just a picture."

"So...you got a name picked out for the bratling yet?" asked Shamal.

Ren almost looked panicked. He had been putting it off for months now, since he was still in some minor denial about the fact he would soon be a father.

"Ciel Corvus Sinclair," said Iris firmly.

Wait, what?

Ren looked at Iris questioningly.

"I've been waiting for the gender to be confirmed before I finalized the name. Ciel for the Sky and Corvus because it's apparently tradition to name male children after a constellation. Hence why that old dog insists on making those horrible puns based on his name," said Iris dryly.

"...I'm almost afraid to ask what the rest of his family is named," said Ren.

"Regulus, Andromeda, Narcissa, Draco, and Orion," she replied immediately.

"Good grief. Who would inflict a name like Regulus or Draco on a kid?" said Ren shaking his head.

"Hence why I'm giving our son a respectable first name and saving him from years of teasing by naming him after a constellation that can be shortened to something less embarrassing."

It would be very simple to shorten his middle name to "Cory" if they had to. And Ciel was common enough that he wouldn't be bothered too much about it.

At least she didn't inflict something as ridiculous like "Spica" on her child. Why her father insisted on giving her that as her middle name she would never understand.

* * *

The mountain alone gave him hives. He didn't even need to get to the top where they were told to meet before being given their assignment to know something terrible would happen in this place. And that wasn't getting to the cold burn his ring was giving him, almost like it was trying to warn him.

Renato had two choices. He could continue on despite the clear and almost painful warning alarms he was getting...

Or he could do the smart thing and leave, after citing his wife's condition as the reason why he was backing out.

Eyeing the obscuring clouds in the higher reaches, it didn't take much for his choice to be made.

"Something wrong, Sinclair?" asked Fon.

"A bad feeling I can't shake. And it's only growing the closer I get to the meeting place."

Fon paused, before giving Ren his full attention.

"How bad?"

"As in everything that makes me a skilled assassin is screaming almost to the point of losing it's voice that I should run like hell and not look back from this place. That something terrible will happen if I get to the top that Iris will never forgive me for ignoring it."

Fon was silent, as was Lal who had overheard that last bit.

"Now that you mention it... there is something really off about this place. It's almost on the back of my mind, like a warning being suppressed."

With him openly stating something was off, most of his companions had paused and were either noticing the same thing he had or desperately trying to dismiss the warning.

Colonello clapped his hand on Ren's shoulder.

"If this place is giving you bad vibes, you should head back to your wife. None of us will think any less of you, considering you have a son on the way."

Ren nodded. He could see that most of his new friends agreed with the blond's sentiment. They knew and generally liked Iris. And the fact he was abandoning a risky mission with his pregnant wife waiting for him at home only a few months from her due date was something they could either sympathize with or at the very least acknowledge he had a damn good reason not to risk his neck for some reward that might not be worth it.

"See you after the mission, yeah?" said Lal.

Ren tipped his hat to them and started making his way back down. For a short period of time, he thought he could return to his wife unscathed.

" _Well this is unexpected...and quite vexing. I've never had someone back out at such a late stage, when things are in place for the final task."_

Ren's instincts had him diving to the side, avoiding an attack.

The mysterious client was there, and he did not look happy.

" _I cannot have word get out of the truth. It would create unneeded complications. So if you will not comply, I shall simply have to...dispose...of you."_

Renato looked at the checkered faced client, and knew that he would be in for the fight of his life. He prayed he made it home to Iris.

His screams would alert the others that something _definitely_ wasn't right...and give Colonello all the forewarning he needed to shield Lal from most of the curse of the Arcebaleno.

* * *

Iris knew something terrible had happened to Ren. She didn't need her Flames of the Sky to know her Sun Guardian was in trouble. She could feel it in her very soul that something happened.

Ren managed to get into the door...and collapsed. He was bleeding heavily, and there was a distinct lack of warmth she always associated with him. Almost like he was bleeding out from his Flames as well as his body.

"Ren!"

"Shit!" swore Ranma, calling Shamal from the safe house. Since it was connected via vanishing cabinets, he didn't really need to stay around the house as much. Within moments the Mist Guardian was in the home checking Renato.

"He's hemorrhaging Flames. I've never seen this before," said Shamal seriously.

Iris was crying. She didn't want to lose Ren. She started pouring Sky-enhanced Sun flames into her husband. While his physical bleeding stopped, he was still growing cold to the touch. His Sun Flames were being forcibly stolen by something and she had no idea what to do.

She was going purely on instinct. She refused to let Ren die. She had seen too much loss from such an early age to accept another, and losing him would be a blow she could not, and would not weather.

Tears pouring down her face, she barely registered Shamal calling it. For a solid minute, Ren lay cold in her arms.

Then the most amazing thing happened. Her wedding ring burst into Sky flames, and the red stone that she always suspected contained a shard of the same rock she had "rescued" when she was eleven began to glow brightly. So bright in fact it was hard to see from the light. The ring on Ren's finger began to shine from some internal power as well, practically resonating with hers.

She felt herself reaching for something, anything that could bring Ren back to her. People had come back from being declared effectively dead before, at least within the first seven minutes with no ill effects. And she would be damned if she allowed something like magical core limitations to keep Ren from her.

Like a blind man reaching in the dark for something to grab onto, her magic and soul latched onto another power source. This one greater than anything she had ever felt, or would likely find again. At least not without some serious consequences for it.

It was a kaleidoscope of color, and it fueled her Flames beyond what she thought possible. She pushed her Sun Flames into her husband, refusing to give up.

And slowly, ever so painfully slow, Ren's body began to warm up.

Shamal was in disbelief, as he quickly put his stethoscope to Renato's chest. He never would have believed it possible, but Iris was dragging Ren forcibly back from the dead through sheer will power and a large amount of stubbornness.

His chest slowly began to rise and fall again, and whatever had caused him to lose his Flames at such an alarming rate seemed to have stopped. But he would forever have the scar that had killed him.

Ren opened his eyes and looked into Iris' tear-filled eyes.

"I...ris?"

She bawled into his chest, clutching him like a life line.

It wouldn't be until three days later, when she was able to wake up from using up so much of her Flames and magic that she noticed the color of the stone on her wedding ring had changed from a bloody red to something close to a diamond. It had a silvery color to it when in low lighting, but shined with a prism of colors when hit with direct light from the sun. The best way to describe the color of the stone was moonlight.

Ren's ring had changed as well. Where it had been a sedate topaz was now a golden color that could put the color gold to shame. It was more brilliant and _alive_ than the gold of the wedding band. If she had to describe it in words, it felt like the sun itself had become a stone and decided to grace Ren's ring with it's presence.

Shamal had both of them on strict bed rest. Iris had damn near killed herself and her unborn son bringing Renato back. She would _not_ be leaving her bed even if he had to get Claire to pin her legs to the bed.

Renato knew he was damn lucky to be alive and didn't argue when he got a similar order. That, and he was still incredibly weak to the point he could barely lift a gun, much less defend himself.

Shamal wasn't going to try and boost his reserves of Sun Flames until he was certain it wouldn't exacerbate the man's delicate condition.

They wouldn't find out what happened to Renato's new "friends" who had been on the mountain until a week after he left their group.

Needless to say none of them were particularly happy with their last "mission" from their mysterious client.


	7. Chapter 7

It said something about her popularity that every single one of the Arcebelano were waiting to meet Ciel.

Lal had been properly horrified when she saw the damage done to Renato when he attempted to leave. Apparently he was supposed to be cursed with the rest of them, though thanks to Colonello she wasn't hit with the brunt of it.

It was hard to feel angry at him for avoiding the curse when they learned that he was losing _Sun_ Flames too fast to properly compensate and recover for, and that if not for Iris he would be dead. It was a miracle he managed to make to his front door at all, but then again he was a stubborn son of a bitch.

Ren was a Sun, and one of the strongest ones in this generation. For him to nearly die from trying to heal his wounds long enough to make it back to his worried wife, he had to take some major damage that most people wouldn't have lasted from.

It was a sobering thought.

Still, Lal grinned when she heard the unmistakable sound of a not happy newborn, before looking at Colonello and blushing. The blond either didn't notice, or was polite enough not to say anything. Fon kept his silence, because he _did_ notice but it wasn't his business. He was cool like that.

Lal had a strict rule. No romance during missions. If they hadn't been cursed into the form of infants, she wouldn't have hesitated to ask the blond sniper out.

As it was, they were going to be too busy trying to rectify this mess before they could remotely consider dating.

Ranma, the chaotic oddball Lightning that was skilled enough to make even Fon impressed, brought out the squalling infant.

"Meet Ciel Corvus Sinclair. Ren would be here to introduce the runt himself, but he's too busy healing his hand from where Iris damn near crushed it."

Lal and Viper snickered. Men were bigger babies than actual babies sometimes.

"Bring back my son!"

"I do believe I hear the sound of a drugged up new mother," deadpanned Viper. That set Lal off again along with Skull.

"Why did she opt for a midwife rather than modern hospitals anyway?" asked Verde.

"Long story short she spent way too much time in hospitals as a kid before meeting Ren to ever want to spend time in any of them, and it's something of a tradition since she absolutely refuses to go to the same place she was born in since it's run by major morons," explained Shamal.

He spent all of one day in England and had briefly visited St. Mungo's on a lark...and come out completely disgusted. He did not blame his Sky one bit for avoiding that place.

Refusing to treat magical injuries on civilians for being civilians was Stupid. Hell, they would erase the memory of what caused it unless the person was married or was carrying a magical child of someone with clout!

Even the mafia-run hospitals weren't _that_ heartless, and some of the doctors there only gave lip service to the Hippocratic Oath!

Ciel would be registered with the goblins as the Heir to the Potter and Black families, but Iris and Ren would look to alternative schools rather than any of the main stream ones like Hogwarts.

Beauxbatons was a possibility, but only if it lined up with their son's magical interests and not because the majority of the students there were female.

It was inevitable he would end up a skirt chaser, but Iris was going to make damn sure her son was a gentleman about it and knew the rules. He would learn responsibility, _or else_.

"He's soooo cute!"

None of them looked at the one who squealed like a little girl. Then again, most of them were smart enough not to piss off the terrifying Mist who would gleefully make them suffer for calling her on it.

The only reason Viper adored Iris was because the woman had given her half of her inheritance to the Mist user with the firm instructions to invest it however she wished, with a healthy percentage as her pay.

Considering the value of gold and the jewels she gave Viper, her bank account had swelled well past what she could have managed on her own in such a short time period.

That, and Iris gleefully helped Viper cheat when shutting down the more... disreputable...mafia run casinos who had done something to royally piss her off.

Ren finally managed to come out, still somewhat pale as his Sun Flames were taking their sweet time to return back to his normal levels. He wouldn't be out and about for a while, giving him plenty of time to bond with his new son.

"I heard the runt was being born today. What did I miss?" asked Xanxus.

Like many other powerful people, he found himself drawn in by Iris' instinctive use of Sky Flames and accepting personality. It took balls of solid titanium to befriend hardened criminals, assassins and cutthroat bastard and still treat them like they were friends.

Iris managed to be wheeled out with her new son into the living room. She had been on bed rest for almost two long, boring months. Even if it meant expanding the doors and rearranging the furniture, she was not going to be confined to one spot in the house!

Viper and Lal cooed at the newborn who was no bigger than they were.

Sadly thanks to their new...size...they were unable to hold him, but they could definitely gush about his cuteness!

"Look! He even has the side burns," laughed Viper.

Closer inspection revealed that Ciel _did_ in fact have Ren's crazy side burns, though they were mere tufts at the moment. However the way they curled was pretty unmistakable.

"He's pretty scrawny. But I can feel his Flames from here. He'll be a Sky for certain," said Xanxus. He soon found himself with an armful of infant. A pair of adorable green eyes blinked at him, yawned, and then went back to sleep. "And anyway I thought you only had one kid in you."

"They're cursed. Damn checkerfaced bastard..." muttered Ren.

"Someone almost do you in?" asked Xanxus, looking at Ren. He whistled. "Have to be someone tough, to almost kill you."

"They _did_ kill me, for a full minute. Iris managed to use her Flames to bring me back," said Ren crossly, showing him the scar. Xanxus winced.

Not someone he'd want to tangle with then. Even he admitted Renato was a beast to put down, and that was when he wasn't trying. Anyone who could hurt him wasn't someone to take lightly or without one _hell_ of an ace up your sleeve.

"He's decided he's going to use the alias Reborn to throw off whoever did this," said Iris amused.

"You're just glad I'm seriously thinking of switching my job," he shot back.

Everyone looked at him.

"After that fight even I acknowledge when to calm down. And I doubt I'll be back to my proper fighting strength anytime soon. I'm not quitting, but I'm never taking an anonymous client ever again."

Not with Iris and his son depending on him.

Even assassins knew when it was time to pull out.

"You're not going to go soft, are you?" asked Xanxus.

Ren's grin was anything but friendly. In fact in the coming years it would be downright terrifying.

"Hell no. Do you want to tell them or should I?" he asked Iris.

Her grin was positively evil.

"He's planning to become a home tutor for mafia brats stuck having to scramble at holding the reigns because of 'unforeseen accidents'."

It took the Arcebelano a few seconds for that to process.

"Those poor kids. If the assassins won't do them in, Ren's trolling will," said Lal dryly.

Ren was a complete bastard and he loved to troll people for shits and giggles. And Iris, when the mood struck her, was a thousand times worse.

If Reborn was going to train the heirs of mafia families so they could competently keep their organizations from crumbling... then it was an almost guarantee he was going to inflict untold hell on his students for laughs, because he was a strict and humiliating task master who loved to make people miserable.

They were only spared because almost every other one of the Arcebelano could give as good as they got.

Xanxus snorted with laughter, handing back the infant. Reborn would keep the idiots who ran the families on their toes and actually make something of the heirs. The current lot were so pathetic it was almost cringe worthy imagining them and their posturing.

Having this asshole inject some spine would definitely make those boring parties a lot more entertaining.

On the plus side, he might have found a viable candidate for his Mist Guardian. Viper was a complete bitch who loved her money, but at least she was Quality.

She would probably be thrilled to have an excuse to bite the heads off the morons he was forced to keep on a leash who kept handing in shitty expense reports.

She could bleed them dry for all he cared, he was tired of having to read their crappy excuses for why the spent so much and having to tally it up. He loathed having to do that kind of math. And Squalo was already planning the untimely demise of the more Stupid idiots who kept turning in half assed reports.

Reborn looked at his new student. Or to be more specific, his first _official_ student. Apparently even the mafia liked having proper credentials, who knew? At least he got to skip through the more useless courses and get straight to the crash course on teaching.

He always had a talent for math, and now he was a licensed math tutor. Even Iris had a degree, though hers was in resource management and battlefield medicine.

She officially had enough training to perform more than basic first aid...which basically meant she could perform quick and messy surgery to keep someone alive, but not enough to work at any real hospital. Her job was keeping people alive in war zones long enough for proper medical assistance to show up, not make it look nice.

It was a good thing she had an iron stomach, because that particular class generally sent people for the handy waste baskets right next to them.

War was hell, and no one knew that better than the men or women keeping the soldiers alive to fight another day.

That wasn't to say she couldn't fight, but that she was smart enough to save her combat skills for when they would do the most good. She was a hammer, plain and simple, who hit hard, hit fast and didn't really do with neat precision. That's what she had her sniper rifle for.

There was a reason she bonded so quick with Colonello. He was able to give her a rather friendly training session with how to use and manipulate long range rifles. She was good at the aim, but she had to get used to the recoil.

Well, that and he apparently fell immediately in love with her owl Hedwig. He was a fan of bird watching, who knew?

He was about to introduce himself to his first official student.

The Cavallone family was an old, and at the moment, rather poor mafia family. They had to be seriously desperate to put their faith on an untested tutor/hitman.

Iris would be coming as well, since they were a paired team. That, and as Shamal had so cheerfully put it, Reborn needed someone to balance out his trolling habit.

The idiot was already in hives because his girlfriend and soon to be wife (Nymphadora had called in reinforcements in the form of her terrifying aunt Narcissa and her own mother) would be popping out their own daughter soon.

Ability to shift her appearance or not, she refused to wear a dress until their daughter was out. There was not telling how hiding her baby bump would affect a child.

Ren would be the best man, of course, while Ranma worked security. It gave him an excuse to be there and not have to worry about the guest's complaints.

He spotted his new prey, and an evil grin crept onto his face. The kid was a wimp.

This was going to be hilarious and so much fun for him, whipping him into shape.

Dino would forever recall the expression on Reborn's face...because it would be the source of his nightmares for the next few years.

Iris had a sympathetic look on her face, seeing Dino run for his life from a far too enthusiastic Ren.

She could tell just by looking at him that he would need a confidence boost if he was to survive her husband's training. And Ren...he didn't do gentle, unless it was his family.

If she had to compare her husband's teaching style, it was that of a rock bracing the student about to face a hard place, and his way of getting them to do anything was to push them off the cliff so that they either learned to fly or else.

She sighed.

Which meant it was her job to bolster their courage and confidence in a way that wouldn't undermine her husband, and to soften the blow of the fall if they fell and couldn't keep up.

Oh well, she did better with being the "good one" anyway.

So while Dino was about to pass out, she cheerfully handed Ciel over to her husband.

Their son was perfectly safe around them, and they were more than capable to taking out anything stupid enough to cause trouble. Besides, he was too young to attend schooling.

Iris handed Dino a drink laced with a few healing potions, she was nice, not soft.

"Why's he so hard on me?" asked Dino, with wide eyes. He would not cry in front of Iris Sinclair. She only tolerated whining when and where it was warranted.

That time was never, and that place did not exist.

"Because the Underworld is not a nice place, and we would rather see you bleed in training than end up dead and six feet under because we were 'soft' on you."

Dino absorbed that revelation. Suddenly the fact Reborn was kicking his ass didn't upset him nearly as much.

"Now, we really need to work on your clumsiness. You need to be able to walk down the stairs without falling on your face if your subordinates or Guardians aren't around to give you a confidence boost."

That, and no one would take him seriously if he tripped on nothing.

"I sense a great deal of amusement in my future," said Ren, holding Ciel who was giggling happily.

Iris grinned evilly. Dino suddenly realized why his evil tutor married this woman.

"I have only two words for you. Dance lessons."

Ren cackled, because dancing would go hand in hand with learning how to pick up women, and with Dino's confidence it was sure to be hilarious. Never mind the catastrophe that was the boy around women, his clumsy nature meant he got to tease the boy about him falling flat on his ass while Ren got to dance with his wife.

 _A few weeks later..._

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" asked Shamal, shaking his head. He almost felt sorry for the kid.

Ranko, as Ranma called herself while in girl form, was Dino's dance partner as she could handle having her toes stepped on repeatedly and was naturally graceful. Besides, it was nice to use her martial arts skills for something fun.

Who didn't love to dance?

"Why Shamal, what makes you think..." Ren managed to get out before he started chuckling evilly. He could not keep a straight face and finish that sentence.

"Dancing is a proven way of learning how to walk and not fall flat on your face. And even if he doesn't manage to get over his clumsy nature, it's still a useful skill for him to learn."

"It's also a train wreck you get to enjoy while spending quality time with your wife," deadpanned Shamal.

"That too," admitted Ren cheerfully.

Ciel giggled happily from where he was sitting. Claire was getting on in years, but she was still happy to act as a cushion the boy could lean against while his parents had fun.

"Look at the bright side... at least we're having fun! And you can bring Nymph here, if she can hold her features long enough," said Iris.

Shamal eyed the two dancing in an almost painful way, and snickered. His wife would have some advice for the poor kid suffering their idea of training, and it would be nice to do something innocent for once.

Besides, she needs a break from Spica.


	8. Chapter 8

Dino flourished under Reborn...even if he was traumatized by the gleeful man. Fortunately, that's why Iris often joined them to soften the blow.

Ciel was such an adorable kid, even if it was debatable which side he got that horrible pranking gene from.

(He would later realize that the boy came by it honestly from his mother's side, of all things.)

On the plus side, Reborn's reputation as a tutor took off. He took a wimpy brat like Dino and in less than five years turned him into something close to a respectable boss, even if he was still a little clumsy.

It did not help that Iris more or less trained _some_ coordination in a well known klutz like Dino.

It says a lot of their parenting skills that Ciel is the one who has final say in his schooling when he's old enough to understand what it is they're asking him. And that he can drop a school when he's fifteen and join something new.

Hogwarts is not on that list, for obvious reasons.

Dino has learned some very important lessons by the time Reborn is given an emergency job with the Vongola to train their last remaining viable heir before the boy is too old to learn how to use his Flames.

One, Reborn is a complete and utter asshole, especially when he senses the perfect opportunity to troll someone for his own amusement.

Two, Iris was the go-to for sympathy unless she thought you were being unreasonably whiny about something stupid, like a scrapped knee or a broken nose. She was the lone reason he escaped Reborn's "tender" mercies as the number one Sadistic Tutor from Hell with his sanity still more or less intact.

Three, Ciel was adorable, but had inherited the worst traits of his parents and worse, was rarely told off for causing chaos with accidental magic or just random trouble with his childish pranks.

Iris and Reborn didn't actually _care_ if their son was a hellion who left chaos in his wake. They were more likely to cheer him on or correct him on what he did wrong and how to escape next time. And if that wasn't bad enough, his 'grandfather' Sirius was right there beside them, cheering the kid on!

Dino openly pitied any authority figure who got on the kid's List of People to Troll. They were doomed to early retirement or gray hairs, if they were lucky, and the funny farm if they weren't. Especially since Reborn had no issue with teaching his five-year-old son how to shoot with a potato gun and the kid was small enough that he could aim for the balls every time.

Thank god the kid found him funny and was more likely to make a spectacle of his klutzy nature than shoot him. His Guardians, on the other hand...

* * *

"You know I find it's a sad, sad thing that you're giving me a week with this kid alone while you take Ciel to Mafia Land so Colonello can pretend he's not cooing at him and teaching him how to be a bigger menace with a gun," said Reborn, almost with a straight face.

Didn't stop him from snickering though.

Iris beamed at her husband.

"I still find it hilarious people give us odd looks when they find out every one of the Arcebelano is wrapped around the finger of a five-year-old kid, especially since we let them teach him whatever they like within reason."

Verde taught Ciel science and how to ask intelligent questions...in exchange for small experiments approved by Iris first. It meant he got two magicals for the price of one to play with.

Fon taught Iris (and by a lesser extension Ranma) how to fight, and would teach Ciel when he finished the basics from her Lighting Guardian.

Mammon (aka Viper) would teach Ciel how to manipulate others and to recognize when someone was trying to swindle him into doing something he had no business in. Iris had gotten a similar lesson and was still kicking herself for missing most of the subtle signals Dumbledore let off about his manipulative nature. She had to learn them all the hard way.

Skull was their impromptu babysitter and the one who would teach Ciel how to drive when he was big enough to handle a proper bike. The fact the kid was already learning how to juggle from him meant that Skull thought Iris was the best person ever, especially since she got Reborn to leave him alone. He wasn't a lackey dammit!

Colonello and Lal were Ciel's godparents, to their own shock. Well, theirs and pretty much everyone else who would have lined up for the role.

They were the ONLY ones Iris trusted not to have an agenda, and if not for the curse would have ended up together anyway. They made a good team and both of them liked kids. Besides, the looks on everyone's face when she told them who the godparents would be had been totally worth it.

"You know you love it, and it means I get to head off Bianchi before she finds out we intend to send her brother in the kid's path."

Hayato was a total sweetheart and one of her many "strays". Like many he gravitated to her many safe houses to avoid a bad home life, and in return she set them up with a Family that would find their skills useful.

Iris Sinclair was not above matching the unattached Flames to families that would be good for them, despite only having half her guardians. There was a reason her official title was the Mediator, and it wasn't because of her ability to get the Dons to behave or else.

Hayato Gokudera was the bastard son of a rather rich and influential family...and the unfortunate victim of her husband's rather annoying stalker.

Iris had put her foot down the second Bianchi started bringing poison cooking. She was not risking their son's health because a little girl had an infatuation with her Guardian!

Needless to say the fact Bianchi wasn't allowed around Iris or her "stray houses" had been a big selling point. He started carrying bezoars around everywhere he went after Iris found out he was staying with them.

Poor kid.

"I'll see you in a week?" said Reborn, kissing his wife on the cheek.

"Don't break him before I get a chance to see how much work we have ahead of us. I'll bring Hayato with me."

* * *

 _On Mafia Land..._

Colonello heard the sound of something squealing, then barely braced himself for the clumsy hug from Ciel.

Why did Reborn's brat have to be so damn cute?!

Better yet, why did Iris have to be a Sky who could wrap damn near anyone around her finger to do things they'd never do for anyone else, like be the godfather of a kid with Sky flames?

Lal had been thrilled, once she got over the shock, and went to every opportunity to spoil the kid rotten. And once the kid was big enough to handle a small gun, he wormed his way in Colonello's good side too.

Besides, Falco adored him.

"Unca Cole!"

Colonello melted when he looked into those adorable green eyes.

"Hello little hawk," he said cheerfully, patting Ciel's head. It was going to be damn near impossible in a few short years, so he enjoyed it while it lasted.

"Hello Colonello, Falco. I came to pick up Hayato, is he available?"

"Thought the klutz already has a Storm?" asked Colonello, listening to Ciel's babble.

"Emergency job for the Vongola. They want us to train their last candidate for Decimo since that idiot got killed."

"...You let Reborn loose on an uninformed kid alone?"

"I'm giving him a week to find out how much work we have ahead of us, before I establish myself as the go-to for any sympathy he's likely to get."

Iris was a Sky, but one of her main aspects was a Mist. She could be damn sneaky when she wanted to be.

He was very, very glad she liked him enough not to turn her little games on him.

"Hayato should be available by tomorrow."

"Which gives you plenty of time to take a break and spend some quality time with your godson," said Iris cheerfully. Colonello grinned.

"I have paintball guns and rookies who have yet to impress me," he informed Ciel.

Seeing the familiar grin of Reborn spelled a lot of pain for the newest recruits. Ciel could be quite intelligent when it came to spreading chaos.

Colonello had yet to figure out which side he got it from more... Reborn and his trolling habit, or Iris and her prankster genes.

* * *

 _With Hayato..._

"Really?! The Decimo candidate for the Vongola needs a Storm guardian?" said Hayato excitedly.

"You were the first person that we considered. You're the right age, the right mindset once you settle down, and you can help him with his schoolwork since apparently he's not very good. Just remember, Skies are more likely than not to be bullied even when their flame isn't active, and he was raised civilian. That means you'll have better luck if you come at him trying to be his friend, rather than his right hand man off the bat."

Hayato nodded eagerly.

Reborn would have made him test the kid and then allowed him to try and integrate himself as the right hand man. Iris was considerably nicer and gave useful advice.

It would be nice to have a friend his own age.

"Now, you can either use an apartment...which I will be warding against _her_ the second you're settled in and confirmed as his Storm, by the way...or I can get a home nearby and we can commute to and from the house."

"Home, that way I can babysit for you and Reborn in the event I can't find a job," said Hayate immediately.

Iris beamed at him.

"And that right there is something a right hand would think of. Good boy."

There was a pause.

"Now, shall we go make things interesting for the rookies or do you want to spend time with Ciel instead?"

Hayato's grin says volumes of the fact that Reborn and Iris have officially corrupted him. Mostly Iris though.

There were louder pleas for mercy, and Iris cackling.

Colonello patted Ciel on the head, who was currently enjoying a sippy cup full of his favorite drink.

"That, little hawk, is why your mother is known as the Chaos Queen. And why it's considered a crime against humanity to unleash her when she's bored."

"Yes, Unca Cole," replied Ciel, eyes glimmering with madness. It was the good kind. The sort that got you noticed by the Varia and earned you a proper name.

It was also the reason why the Ripper Prince didn't mind acting as babysitter whenever they were in Florence, since Ciel was a cheerful conspirator in causing chaos around Varia Headquarters.

Ciel was very much Reborn's son in that respect.

Colonello chuckled evilly, watching Iris put the noobs through their paces. Either they survived and learned good coping mechanisms beyond getting drunk off their ass, or they washed out. A bit of absolute chaos was good for the soul, in small doses anyway.

Besides, it meant they got to take pot shots at those who weren't pulling their weight with the modified sniper rifle filled with prank potions. Ciel cackled every time Colonello hit one of the rookies while he called out their next victim with his binoculars.

It was good stress relief _and_ the most amusing way of bonding with the kid.

And best of all it gave him plenty of reason to make their lives hell for the next month if they didn't meet his standards. Good times.

* * *

Tsuna's first thought upon hearing his evil tutor had a wife and son was that they were just as bad as he was. He lost quite a bit of sleep imagining them when Reborn casually mentioned they were coming after his wife had to pick someone up from training.

And that they had secured a house within a stone's throw of his own. It was not doing good for his mellow.

Then he is introduced to Gokudera in a very roundabout way (the guy is enthusiastic about being his right hand man, but thankfully didn't try to immediately crowd him) and when he returns home he finds his mother chatting with a very pretty woman with bright red hair, green eyes and a five-year-old in a cheerful Godzilla costume.

And then Reborn kissed her, which made his brain stall.

This was his evil tutor's _wife_?

She was... _nice._ More importantly her very existence in the house caused Reborn to tone down the painful cram sessions, even if he was mostly making Gokudera help him with his homework.

A week later he's introduced to a five-year-old hitman named Lambo from the Bovino family, and then he recognizes the same spark of madness Reborn has in his wife and son. Mostly Ciel though, with Iris giving him cheerful pointers on how to disable Lambo without hurting him.

Normal mothers do not give their toddler children advice on how to use pressure points without hurting other kids. No wonder Ciel wasn't in school!

However... where Reborn was a bit of a jerk and liked to torment him for his own twisted amusement, Iris was the kind of person who always knew just what to say in order to bolster even the weakest person's confidence.

Like when she heard how he had dove off the roof trying to protect Takeshi because the guy had been really depressed from his arm being injured, despite not having any idea how to stop their descent.

Iris had hugged him good and hard for that, and it had felt nice.

"That, little lion, is what real courage is."

Tsuna blinked.

"But I'm not brave at all!" he whined. He barely winced at the light bop to the head she gave him with a rolled up newspaper.

"I said courage, not bravery. Bravery is just a kinder word for being Stupid to the point of idiocy. Courage is something that even the most timid heart can cultivate if they're willing to try."

Tsuna blinked slowly. Weren't they the same thing?

Iris sighed, and gave Lambo and Ciel some juice to enjoy while they played with their toys. She had more or less adopted the "baby Bovino" when she realized he was an orphan.

Having a friend to play with that actually listened to him and a mothering influence that cared did a lot for his erratic behavior, even if Reborn had reluctantly sighed when he found out Lambo didn't have parents and muttered something about "strays". Apparently she did this a lot.

"I'll explain the difference between courage and bravery. Tell me, were you scared when you went to save Takeshi-kun from falling?"

"I was terrified! If Reborn hadn't..."

"And that right there is the difference. A brave person wouldn't have the sense to be scared in the first place, they'd jump right in without thinking of the consequence. However a courageous person would acknowledge the danger and would act in _spite_ of their fear to do what was necessary."

Tsuna still didn't get it, so she used an easier example.

"Would you say Gokudera-kun is brave or courageous?"

"Brave," said Tsuna immediately. Then he got it. Gokudera wouldn't have hesitated to jump or worry about the landing. However Tsuna had been terrified to death, and had gone after Takashi anyway despite that fact. "Oh."

"Courage is _not_ the absence of fear. It is acknowledging you are afraid enough to remember your life is important too, and to act in _spite_ of the fear. And you, little lion, are very courageous. Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality. That's one of the things Reborn is trying to teach you, and why Shamal refuses to train Gokudera until he realizes his life is important too."

Tsuna blinked.

"I think that's a good enough lesson for today. I'll let you think on that and tell Reborn to leave you alone while you consider the lesson," she said cheerfully.

In other words she was going to ask Gokudera to watch the kids while she had some fun with her husband. Upon learning of the hassle it would be to ward against Bianchi in a flat, she had given it up as a bad job and simply given the bomber his own room, complete with some major silencing wards. He could hear Ciel if he was crying, but not the master bedroom. Good thing too, because he was also very aware that the two love birds were trying for a girl this time.

Tsuna would remember the lesson on the difference between courage and bravery, and it would hold him through most of Reborn's Spartan teachings whenever he balked at doing something that was dangerous.

On the plus side, being told by Iris that it was alright to be afraid so long as he had the courage to move past it and get things done anyway had done wonders for the whining problem. Reborn had despaired of having to listen to Tsuna bitch and moan about everything he was trying to impart before he got shoved headfirst into the shark-infested waters.


End file.
